Terms of Life, Terms of Death
by Shamgi
Summary: Completed! Konoko plans to learn the truth from Griffin, and finds an ally in a former enemy. Please Review!
1. A sudden twist

/Takes place right before TCTF Redux, leads different ending to the game/  
  
Disclaimer- Oni isn't mine. If it was I wouldn't be writing fan fiction and would be making a kick-a$$ sequel.   
  
Terms of Life, Terms of Death.  
An Oni fic by: Shamgi   
Chapter 1: A sudden twist  
  
*Words here*- Thoughts  
  
  
As Konoko sat in the alley she had decided to sleep in, wondered just who she was. After Shinatama had been kidnapped, her visit with her uncle and her discovery of her real identity, she had lost focus of who she was. On one hand, she had Konoko, an agent trained by the TCTF to deal with terrorists and other anti-government groups. On the other, she had Mai, a daughter of two of the anti-government group members. Different lives, each conflicting with the other. Only two things were shared with those lives, only two things she knew to be true. The Chrysalis, and her brother.   
Her brother, the leader of a terrorist group and the only other person to possess a Chrysalis. In either life, he was her enemy, Konoko's because she had taken an oath to fight him and his group, and Mai's because his ideal was a twisted version of their father's, the one he claimed to follow. She had to stop him, no matter what life she lived.  
First though, was to get some answers from Griffin. As she fell slowly asleep, her thoughts were of the father and mother she never knew, and the uncle she'd never see again.   
  
*****  
  
Konoko awoke not to a dingy alley, but a holding cell. For some reason, her mind wouldn't clear, and her body was numb all over. She could tell that she was strapped to her bed, and she could only see in grays. Her mind became a notch more alert as a shadow approached her. "My, you seem to be awake." Even with fog filling her mind, she knew the voice. *Muro* the only part of her life she was sure of, that she knew was the truth. Now his prisoner, she was sure she would die. That was why she did not expect to be let go. She felt something enter her arm, then her mind cleared and she could feel her body again. She sat up and scanned the room. There was no one in the cell but her and Muro, and he held no weapons and didn't have a fighting stance. For the moment, she was safe, so she relaxed slightly.  
  
"Now, could you come with me?" Muro asked. Konoko tensed up again.   
  
"Why do you want me to? Why haven't you killed me? What is going on?" Konoko was confused. Her brother, a ruthless terrorist, was not acting as he should, or as she thought he would.   
  
"I'll explain as soon as we get you out of this cell."   
  
Konoko, now quite confused, just nodded dumbly and walked though the door when he motioned for her to. After waiting for him to come out, Konoko walked slightly behind him, at a far enough distance so that if he tried to attack she would be ready for him.   
  
She passed dozens of Syndicate troops, and only her curiosity kept her from trying to run and finding the nearest exit. *It's to late anyway. I'm probably so deep in this base I have no chance of making it out.*   
  
They finally arrived at what seemed to be the entrance to Muro's personal quarters due to the fact that 6 Valkyrie's1 guarding the door. Muro walked through the door, Konoko following him, knowing that this was the best time to ambush her and kill her. Nothing happened though, so her suspicions were lowered a notch.  
  
His room was simple, unlike what she had imaged. A cot lay in one corner, looking brand new, like it had never been used. The was some simple decorations, a mural on the wall, a painting that looked like it was from Europe, a small computer that only seemed to be good for playing videos, and a framed picture of a man and a women, each holding a baby. The group seemed familiar to Konoko, and then she remembered where she had seen them. In her mirror. These were her parents. That was her, and that was Muro. She had never seen any pictures of them, or seen them in person. She picked up the picture and stared deeply into it. The parents she would never know, the brother she wanted to kill.   
  
"She was pretty, wasn't she?" Konoko looked up into her brothers eyes. They were soft and filled with the same emotion she was feeling, not the hard gems she had seen before. "I don't remember them either. I wish I did. I wish we both did." He gently took the picture from her and set it back down, then turned back to her. "You are dying to know why I brought you here, right?" Konoko nodded. He had changed in the few days since she had last seen him. She had never known him except as an enemy, but she could tell this was not the Muro she had known or fought with.  
  
"The reason I brought you here is to tell you something." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "What I wanted to tell you is that someone's been playing us like pawns. Griffin to be exact."  
  
Konoko sat there for a second, not quite understanding, then she finally managed to say something. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"This." Muro slid a disk into his computer.  
  
End Chapter 1  
  
Well, I did leave off at a bad point, but I don't want to put tons of effort into this without anyone reading it. So if I get enough R&R, I'll continue  
  
1 Valkyrie- In Oni, This is the elite form of the female strikers, or furies. 


	2. Secrets Revealed

Terms of Life, Terms of Death  
An Oni fic by: Shamgi   
Chapter 2: Secrets Revealed  
*Words here*- Thoughts  
+Words Here+ - electronics (Radio, T.V., etc.)  
### - Flashback  
  
Muro turned to Konoko, a told her one final thing. "While the TCTF isn't aware of it, I'm not the real leader of the Syndicate. There is someone above me, though I never knew who. He never met me in person, and was always cautious, but he let me be leader in name and almost in power, so I tried hard to figure out who he was." Ending with that, he started the tape.  
  
It was voice only, but a high quality tape. There was no static or any other form of noise on the tape, so there was nothing for Konoko to focus on as the hatred filled words emerged from the speakers.  
  
+These are the final words of the ninja Mukade, meant for the ears of Konoko and Muro, or Mai and Lange Hasegawa. This first part can be listened to by Muro alone. The second part however, requires both of you.+  
  
The speaker paused, talking about when you were going to die was usually not very easy.   
  
+Muro, I have discovered the identity of your boss and the leader of the Syndicate. His name is Griffin. He is also the leader of the TCTF. In turns out that this entire "mini-war" has all been set up, made simply to test each of your powers and finally against each other. The victor of the fight was to be killed and dissected to remove the Chrysalis and have it implanted in Griffin himself. You have been led on, meant to hate each other and to fight and kill each other. You have now been warned of this fact and I hope you will fight against it.+  
  
Again the voice paused but this pause was different, as if the speaker was wishing he didn't have to say this for the listener, not the speaker.  
  
+Konoko, I'm sure you have beaten me in combat and thus killed me. My life was forfeit anyway, I have been living on bowered time since I became a ninja, and you just happened to be the one to end that time. I don't hate you, in fact I'm glad I could get away from all the killing and blood, it haunted my nightmares. Pease don't feel sorry for my death, I would have just as easily killed you if given the chance, and you can be assured I tried my hardest to achieve just that in our fight. It was you or me, and we both hoped it was you.+  
  
Again a pause, then a voice.   
  
+This next part is for both of you. Do not listen to it alone.+  
+Muro, Konoko, I worked with both your father and your uncle on their project. I am aware of what your Chrysalis can do, more so than you. I can not tell you however, as some things are best learned first hand than by teacher. Griffin is both your enemy, so work together to defeat him and discover the truth about your past. This is Mukade, signing off for the last time. Notre destin je avec dieu.+  
  
The recording ended, leaving the room in an uncomfortable silence. Neither Muro nor Konoko said anything, both sobered and saddened by the ninja's words. Muro finally broke the silence with the words, "He's right. Griffin is both our enemy. We should work together to beat him. After that, we can decide what to do."  
He was right. There was no point to think so far ahead or behind of the time they were currently in. They had something to accomplish in this time, they could worry about other times later.  
"We should figure out a plan for attacking TCTF headquarters quickly, before Griffin figures out we're working together." Muro nodded, then led the way out of his room, Konoko trailing behind. Both had changed severely by the time they had spent listening, whether the change was good or bad foe their souls was yet to be seen.  
  
*****  
  
Konoko sat in the passenger seat of a moving van clad in black body suit, she recalled the plan that had been devised. Several small groups of Strikers would launch raids and start firefights all over the city. This would prevent any backup from the TCTF agents on the street, as they would be busy fighting. A larger group made of Tankers(1), Elites(2), and Strikers would attack the main building at the ground level, drawing all the personal in the building to the bottom floors. Muro, Konoko, 3 Furies, and 3 Ninja's would climb to the roof, then move from the top down, searching for Griffin. It was a decent plan, and its strength was the fact that they already had plenty of reinforcements already in the building. She had enjoyed planning the mission with the Syndicate, due to the fact that they were on the other side of the law, so they weren't blinded to it. They didn't have to follow dozens of rules and regulations when planning a mission. There was no "We can't do that, it's against regulations", or "Law 12.3 prevents that kind of distraction". If it was possible and not suicidal, it was OK. That was a nice change, and made planning easier. Without thinking, she felt the lump in her breast pocket, and pulled the object out. It looked like a normal Hypo, only it was colored blood red, not the normal white. She looked over at Muro, who was in a light sleep in the driver's seat, and recalled earlier  
  
###  
  
Konoko walked down the hallway heading for the parking garage, she heard a voice behind him. "Konoko, wait up!" She looked back, and stopped as Muro ran to catch up with her. "Konoko. Take this." He held out a red cylinder, and Konoko took it and looked it over. "It's works like a regular Hypo, but don't ever use it unless you have no hope of surviving the current situation." He explained. She nodded, the back of her mind wondering just what it would do. "C'mon, we have to go." She started down the hall, taking her with him.  
  
###  
  
Konoko stared off into space, wondered about her brother's new behavior. *He's changed so much. I never really knew him, but he's changed so much. He used to be a cold blooded killer, no emotion, no sense of life. Just a killing machine. Now, he seems to be opening up. Living life more. Konoko's train of thought took her a new direction. *I was just like him, before. I was only worried about the missions. I lived for nothing else. My time between missions was spent waiting for the next. When I learned how Griffin was using me, I started living for the first time.* She recalled how hoping to dodge TCTF patrols, she had bought tickets for a movie she had thought of going to see. However, as the movie began to play, she forgot about the outside world, she just watched the movie, enjoying it like any other normal person. She now realized that that was the first time she had ever done that. Other times, she had watched the movie, but had always been worried about what was happening at work while she wasn't there. *After that, I began to learn how to live like most people, not just like an agent.*  
  
"Yen for your thought's?"  
  
Konoko looked over at Muro, who was holding a 500 Yen piece between two fingers with a faint smile on his face.  
She recovered after a moment and countered with "That's 500 Yen, not just one."  
"So what if I think my sisters thoughts are worth more than normal."  
  
Both sat there for a minute, just staring at each other. Then Konoko slowly began laughing, unable to control herself. Muro joined her after a second, with a slow laugh that made Konoko's spirit perk up a bit. After a minute, they stopped, and just stared at each other, both smiling. Konoko snatched out and grabbed the coin, then told Muro "I was just thinking how both of us are finally learning to live beyond combat and the streets. I hope we can give it up, after this is over." Muro's face turned solemn, and he patted Konoko on the shoulder with reassurance. "We will, we will." A sound came from behind them, and a Fury opened the door from the back part of the van. "The first stage of the mission has started, we should head out now." Muro started the van up and put it in gear. "Let's get this over with. I want to go home." he looked over at Konoko, "Wherever that is." Konoko knew, in her heart, that they would find a home when this was over.  
  
End Chapter 2  
(1)Tankers- Those annoying, rare enemies that fight like wrestlers, the illegal SDL androids  
(2)Elites- The hardest non boss enemies in the game, the ones that use the "Cannonball Roll"  
Authors note  
Yes I didn't have any action in this chapter either, but I promise the next chapter will. I want it just as much, if not more, than you do, but my muse won't muse any fight scenes that don't require me to do some stuff like this. So just wait until next chapter. 


	3. Attack!

Terms of Life, Terms of Death  
An Oni Fic by: Shamgi  
Chapter 3: Attack  
*Words here*- Thoughts  
+Words Here+ - electronics (Radio, T.V., etc.)  
### - Flashback  
  
  
In the headquarters of the TCTF, chaos was the ruling the building. Out of nowhere, dozens of hotspots with Syndicate troops had broke out all over the city, seemly at random. The many intelligence officers that worked at the HQ were trying to find a pattern behind the attacks, but so far had been unsuccessful. Through the chaos, one man sat at his desk, silently using his computer. No one paid him any attention, he was known to be able to keep his cool in the worst situations, and he was doing just what he was supposed to. That was, of course, exactly what he wanted people to believe. His job was to check to see if the targets had any relevance to each other. He was already aware that they didn't. He in fact believed the Syndicate troops had used darts to pick targets. That was just the distraction. He knew something was going to happen, he just didn't know what. An idea hit him, and he switched his screen to another display. It showed a 3-D map of the 5 blocks surrounding the building, and his suspicion was valid, in the last hour, over a dozen vans had appeared in various locations, none of which belonged. A scan of one of the vans gave some surprising news, the van contained both Muro and Konoko, the 2 most wanted criminals in the country. *Someone should report this.* He deleted the info from not just his computer, but every computer in the building. *To bad it won't happen. You will pay for your crimes Griffin.* He went back to his regular work, waiting for the assault he knew was imminent.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Muro drove the van to the back of the building, making sure to avoid any contact with people. Syndicate ninjas had made sure to clean the road of any bystanders, so they had no opposition during their ride. Muro parked, and they both sat down to waited for their chance to enter. It came in short order, as they both heard the sound of tires screeching, then gunfire and sounds of combat. They both got out of the van, then knocked on the back to signal to the group that it was time to go. Ninjas and Furies emerged from the back of the van, the latter wearing equipment for climbing. Both Muro and she were handed similar equipment, but the ninjas wore none. Konoko figured out why shortly, as the ninja climbed up the flat wall as if were nothing. They climbed like spiders, and were out of sight in seconds. A few minutes later, several ropes were dropped down to them, and they made the climb themselves, albeit slower. Once they were on the roof, they had the manner of security to deal with. After the assault the Syndicate had launched on the TCTF HQ., the roof had been left completely undefended by the prior means, so with Konoko's info, they knew that it would be guarded by 4 TCTF Tactical on the outside, two armed with Mercury bows, two unarmed. On the inside would be 6 guards, 2 teams of a TCTF Tactical and Black Ops Tactical, each in the rooms to the right and left of Griffins office, and 2 TCTF SWAT, who were up here to increase security. They would work from the outside in, trying to keep quiet. The ninja's and Muro would handle the outside guards, then Konoko and the furies would take the inside group. The three ninja quickly disappeared to the areas their targets were, Konoko was in a vantage point to watch Muro get his target. She watched as he quietly slipped into the shadows nears his intended victims route, and disappeared from view. Konoko couldn't see him even though she knew where he was, so she knew the Trooper didn't see him, even though he looked right at him. When the trooper turned around, Muro acted. Like lighting, Muro slid into the guard's right. Before the guard even registered that there was someone behind him, his feet were swept out from under him by Muro left leg. As he fell backwards, his back met with Muro's swiftly rising knee. Even from how far she was away, Konoko heard several cracks that made it obvious that the man's back was broken. Muro brought his hand down on the guard's neck. One final crack was heard, then it was silent. Muro let the man's body slide off his knee, where it fell to a crumpled heap. Muro left the body, not worrying about the other guards finding it. He returned, and they waited for the ninja's to finish their jobs. The ninja's were back in short order, and two were carrying Mercury Bows. They handed the bows over to Konoko and Muro, and each checked the ammo. Neither had been fired, and Konoko knew why, she had faced ninja's before. It was her turn now, and she watched and readied for her chance.  
  
  
Mullen was bored out of his mind. A TCTF SWAT member, Mullen was huge, over seven feet tall. He weighed over 300 pounds, and it was all muscle. Mullen was the strongest TCTF officer alive. Well, almost. He had been beaten in strength tests last year by some girl named Konoko. She was a Black Ops agent, the best, actually, and Mullen held a grudge against her. The kind of grudge where he wouldn't mind if she showed up facedown in an alley, dead. *Why should I be beaten by a girl? And why should I be stuck up here when I could be fighting down there?* He had gotten news that there was a fight on the lower levels, and had instantly asked for the chance to go down. He had been denied. He was now sulking, wishing for a fight. In a minute, he would get a fight. The sound of glass breaking came from outside the room he was in, and he looked out where the sound had come from, then quickly jumped back inside. His partner, who had also been in a room talking with a scientist, was not so quick to hide. He took a mercury round to the chest, and was dead before he hit the ground, or wall, in this case. Mullen stood up, and peeked out the door to see where the shot had come from. Four women stood there, scanning the room. There he didn't know, but the fourth... Mullen's eyes turned to slits as he recognized that face. *Konoko. That's Konoko! She seems to be working for the Syndicate. Guess that means I'll have to administer some justice.* Mullen smiled as he thought of his definition of justice.  
  
  
Konoko scanned the room. She had shot one of the SWAT members, who was now lying dead against the wall. She couldn't see the other, and suspected that he was hiding. Seemly from nowhere, he emerged from his hiding place, and ran right for the group. One of the women charged him, hoping to catch him off guard, but he simply grabbed her out of the run. Holding her by the head, Mullen used his incredible strength to hurl the girl across the room, right into a glass pane. The pane shattered, and the woman was thrown out the window and off the building, sending her falling to her death. HE stood there, smiling, he had enjoyed killing her. Konoko threw her gun to the one of the Furies, and have them there instructions. "Clear the rest of the floor, I'll handle him." Both Furies nodded dumbly, still shocked by the sudden death of their friend. They left, leaving Konoko and the SWAT member standing there, facing off. Konoko abruptly charged, making sure to watch for the grab he seemed to prefer. It came, and Konoko ducked, his hand went right over her head. Konoko shifted a little left, then stood back up, his arm draped over her shoulder. She grabbed it, and preformed a shoulder throw, sending the man flying forwards. He smacked into the ground, then stood up, unaffected. He took the initiative this time, charging her headlong. She jumped forward and kicked him in the face, sending him to the floor again. He again stood up, still unaffected. She repeated this for several more minutes, knocking him down and watching him stand back up with no sign of damage. *He's trying to wear me out, and he can do it if I just keep smacking him around like this. I need some help!* As if by answer, the earlier discarded Mercury Bow slid to her feet. She picked it up, then took a shot at the guard. It hit right between the eyes, knocking the guard back to the wall, to drop next to his partner. Konoko stood there, daring the man to stand, then relaxed when he didn't. She turned to leave, then heard a grunt. She spun around, to look straight at the fist of the guard. She flew backwards, and crashed into the wall. Pain arched through her back, and stars exploded in her vision. She managed to stand, and get back into a fighting position. A blow came, and Konoko was knocked back into the wall, but was held up. She was plummeted again and again, and finally, Konoko lost consciousness.   
  
End Chapter 3  
Authors Note- This took a long time to write for me, normally I could have this out in a weekend. I hope to work faster on this, since I know exactly where it's going. 


	4. The Ass Kicking Chapter

Terms of Life, Terms of Death  
An Oni Fic by: Shamgi  
Chapter 4: The Ass Kicking Chapter  
*Words here*- Thoughts  
+Words Here+ - electronics (Radio, T.V., etc.)  
### - Flashback  
*** - Scene Change  
*#* - Character change(same scene, different character)  
)Words here( - Spooky voice(Spirit, telepathic comm., etc)  
  
*Authors Note- If you have a problem with the name of this chapter, remember something. I started this fic on the basis of "How many people would get their ass kicked if Konoko and Muro joined forces?" This entire fanfic is based on this statement, and it took me four chapters to actually use it! If your still mad at me for the title, remember this, it's my fanfic, not yours, so Tough Cookies! I love getting to use that.  
  
  
  
Konoko woke slowly, feeling the pain all over her body. She looked around, seeing she was in one of the upper level offices in the building. She saw Muro working on a computer on the desk. She tried to stand, but let out a grunt of pain, attracting Muro's attention. He rushed over to her, then slowly lifted her into a standing position. "How long have I been out?" Muro's face swam in her vision as he replied. "You've been out about 10 minutes."   
  
"What happened after I blacked out?"   
  
Muro face went blank." I knocked him around, then got him outside. When I figured out he'd just keep coming, I used the Mercury Bow to shoot him off the building. He should now be dead, no one could survive that. Griffin wasn't in his office, we think he's hiding in the basement" Muro smiled, but it was bitter, he hated more and more to kill people. That wouldn't stop him from doing it, but she knew he would take no joy from it or do it without reason. In the seconds of their talk, she had already regained her full health; The Chrysalis was doing its job well. They both walked out the door, meeting what was left of their party. Other than the dead Fury, there was a ninja missing, he had been knocked off the building by the guard that had gotten Konoko. One of the Furies put a finger to her lips and pointed down, the layout of the building allowed people from the top see and hear the people down below, and it worked both ways. Konoko looked down, and backed up quickly at what they saw. "There must be 100 guards waiting down there!" Konoko whispered fiercely. Muro just nodded, thinking. The other Fury, who had been scouting, returned. "I think I have a solution to our problem, though it's bloody. I've found six Superball Guns(1) in a mini armory, all fully loaded. If we were all to shoot the group at once..." The Fury left off, waiting to see what Muro thought of it. Muro slowly nodded, not liking the solution but seeing it was the best to go. The Furies and Ninja went to get the guns while Muro and Konoko waited. "Should we really be doing this?" Muro asked. Konoko looked at him, startled. He was the last person she thought would ask that, but also saw that the answer was important for both of them. "Yes, I think we should. Many people have died for this feud between the TCTF and Syndicate, some innocent, some not. But id we don't end it now, more people will die. We have to stop this before more killing can happen." She wanted to say more, but the group was back, and they needed to act quickly. Konoko look at Muro, and saw in his eyes he had understood. They took their guns, then positioned themselves to cause maximum damage. They surrounded they group from above, have at least one person on a side. Muro held up his fingers, counting down. Three. Two. One. Zero. Fire. Konoko let loose her round, hearing five other Guns fire almost simultaneity.  
  
  
The Fifth division of the TCTF Special Forces had been assigned the defense of the upper levels. They were to keep all intruders and attackers from reaching the top most levels. The commander, Sgt. Thomas, was quite happy with this assignment. It showed the commander held his troops in high esteem, and assigned them the most valuable part of the building to their defense. Thomas had wandered off from the group, looking over a computer that showed the advance of the attackers. They had made it to the fifth level, and there was a huge firefight going on down there. He stiffened, hearing gunfire, then looked over at the only way up. Then he realized the sounds had come from above, not below. He turned to look at his troops, but saw he was already too late. Six explosives were heading for the center of the group, with no time to run. The projectiles hit, and instead of exploding, split into 5 smaller projectiles that formed a crude circle around the point of impact. When those hit, they did explode, sending people flying everywhere. Thomas was thrown back from the force of the chain explosion, landing heavily on his back. He shook his head and stood to view the mess that used to be his squad. Bodies were scattered everywhere, some moving, most not. He heard another barrage of gunfire, and jumped to the ground. Several more explosions were heard, and when he looked up, it was obvious he was the only one alive on the floor. The area smelled of smoked flesh, and he promptly vomited all over the floor. He stood up, not quite thinking clearly, and wandered out where the blasts had come. He kneeled, looking at the dead face of new kid in the squad, who had never actually been sent on a mission. He was young, and had barely lived. Thomas cried, and was glad when he heard the sound of a single gun firing, and the sudden and searing heat on his back. Then the man known as Sgt. Thomas lived no more.   
  
  
*****  
  
  
Konoko felt sick. She had watched the slaughter knowing it was needed, but that single man, grieving? She knew in her mind it had to be done, but her heart still believed it to be wrong. She looked at the gun that had caused some of these deaths, and shuddered. She had to move on though, hoping to get to a time when she didn't have to do things like this.  
  
*****  
  
  
The group went unhindered for the rest of the trip, by the time they had gotten to the lower levels, they were in friendly control. The only area not under their control was the basement, which was locked, and the garage. Konoko was only worried about the basement, but both Muro and her agreed that they should clear out the Garage first. Muro began questioning, being the one better known. "How many are in there?" "There seems to be about 20 to 25, some armed with pulse rifles." "Which levels?" Most seem to be located on the upper levels, but there are a few on the lower ones." *That makes sense.* Konoko thought *Of the three levels, the top one holds all the equipment.* Muro looked at her. "Any ideas?" Konoko thought for a moment and spoke. "We should take the lower level first, while some troops provide a firefight from the front. Then we sneak in the back, and take them out, gun wielders first." Muro nodded his approval, then began too give orders.  
  
*****  
  
  
The various TCTF officers had taken cover behind several armored assault vehicles parked in the garage. Each vehicle had several pulse rifles loaded, along with enough ammo to last them days. The armor would also last days; it was nearly impenetrable by normal weapons. The firefight with the Syndicate had been a stalemate so far, and looked like it would stay that way for a while. The assault had been let off for several minutes, with no firing from either side. The Syndicate resumed firing, improving in both aim and volume. For the first couple minutes, the only thing the TCTF agents could do was hide. When the Syndicate stopped firing to reload, the TCTF opened fire, hoping to catch someone off guard. None of the troops noticed the two figures creeping towards them, silent as the wind. One trooper, newer and still trigger happy, ran out of ammo early, and turned with his back to the truck defending him from return fire. This action gave him full view of Konoko and Muro, standing about 30 feet away. He let out a yelp of surprise, causing about half the TCTF troopers to turn around. Muro and Konoko cursed, and broke in a run in 90 degree angles from there enemies. The guards opened fire almost as one, and Konoko was to busy jumping, ducking, and dodging to figure out what happened to Muro. She managed to spot a trooper that was alone; she turned to run straight at him. He began a more frenzied firing rate, which forced Konoko to weave more than she liked. When she got within 10 feet of him, she jumped into the air and front flipped. When she had rotated almost fully, she stopped, leaving her with her feet aiming at the panicked guard. Pushing past his raised arms, she planted her feet him in his neck, knocking his face backwards and into the floor, making a sick crunch as her full weight was put on his neck. She grabbed his Pulse rifle out of his still raised hands, then checked the ammo left. She had four shots, and five guards to deal with. She was now running parallel to the group of guards, having done it without thinking. She took aim, and began firing, making her four shots count. She nailed three guards in the head, killing them, but as she went to fire her final round, she took a shot in the leg, knocking her off balance and sending her shot wild. *This is great* She thought. The leg shot had done almost no damage, the armor she was wearing designed to absorb the impact, but she now had face 2 guards with guns, who she remembered as the two of the best shots in the department, while she had no gun, and she had managed to run way to far in her dodging, putting her nearly 100 feet away, with only one place to take cover, which she took. She briefly looked over and saw Muro busy with his own set of guards, being able to offer any help. )The Chrysalis!( Konoko jumped. She looked around, trying to spot the source of the voice, and finding none, decided to try something. *What are you taking about?* She thought. )You're pretty smart, not trying to talk out loud. Of course, you are claimed to be the best agent the TCTF has, or had, in this case. Anyway back to subject, use the Chrysalis( *What do you mean, "Use the Chrysalis!"? I have no idea what you're taking about!* )Ok, quick lesson. By focusing your Chrysalis, you can block or absorb bullets. You absorb energy shots, which will heal you and send you into Daodan power mode, and you block projectiles, sending them back at the shooters. Problem is, you can only block one at a time, not both. In this case though, that won't be a problem.( *But how do I do that? It's not just as easy as thinking about it!* )Actually, it is. Just think about absorbing the shots, and you will.( *Well, here goes, I guess* She began to think about absorbing energy shots, and in a second, she felt a field form abound the front of her, ready to take the shots. She stepped out, and began to walk towards the two guards. They had not been idle, having found themselves spare rifles so they could really unload the damage. They began firing, a rifle in each hand. The shots zoomed towards Konoko, and she flinched as they reached the field, which was only about an inch from her face. No heat or impacts came, and Konoko felt filled with energy. She opened her eyes, and began walking forward again. When the next round of shots came, she didn't close her eyes, and watched. The shots came into contact with the invisible field, then disappeared, leaving no trace they had been there. Konoko used the absorbed energy to strengthen the field, projecting it farther out. She began walking faster, still having an enormous amount of energy inside of her. The rounds of fire became constant, the guards were panicking. She soon got within 10 feet of them, and they were still firing. She had already entered Daodan long before and decided to try something, knowing at this point the guards had little chance of killing her, even with the guns. She expanded the field to the point it had engulfed the guns, and the spare ammo packs on their belts. When the guns stopped firing and the ammo packs lost their charge, she knew her experiment was a success. The field wasn't simply flat; it was a 3D object, filling the area between her and the edge. The sudden rush of power caused her aura to overload, exploding outwards, blinding her and tearing up anything in its way. The truck was engulfed, and the guards with it, she could hear their screams as the field tore at them. When the extra power was finally depleted, she could she what had happened to the guards. Neither was in evidence, and the truck, well the truck was in pieces. Konoko didn't really want to know what had happened to the guards.  
  
*#*#*  
  
Muro was out of choices. When he had taken off, he had caught three guards off guard, killing them and taking their guns. The others, about 15, had gotten smart and converged to a single area and targeted him, sending him hiding. He had tried vainly to return fire, but had no chance to aim, and wasted all the shots he had. He was stuck here, not even having a chance to run. )You give up to easy.( Muro looked around startled. It wore off quickly; he had several telepaths on his employ. *What do you want?* )To help. I can get you out of this, or show you how, at least.( *And how can I get out of here?* )By using your Chrysalis.( *And how will that help me?* )You can freeze those shots with it.( *How can I do that?* )Just think about it, then it'll work.( Muro had his doubts, but was willing to try. A shot flew past, and Muro thought about it, forcing it to stop. It did freeze in air, then disappeared, the energy diffused when held still. Muro decided to go all or nothing, stepping out in plain view, where nearly 50 plasma shots homed in on him. He thought about it, and it happened, the shots stopped, frozen. They disappeared like the first, leaving no trace. The startled guards never thought to fire, and by the time they recovered their wits, Muro had reached them. He made short work of them, a chop to the neck to one, and snapped neck to another. Eventually, there was only one left, having been detached from the group. He dropped his gun and fled in fear. This put him right into the sights of the Syndicate troops, and he was sot with nearly 200 rounds from all sorts of guns before his body finally hit the ground. Muro scanned the room, and seeing the area void of threats, relaxed. It was then that it hit him *How had he known about the Chrysalis?*  
  
*****  
  
Outside the building, 3 bodies lay. One was a Fury, having been thrown off the building. Another was a ninja, who had suffered the same fate. The third was their killer, a TCTF SWAT member. All three had been thrown off the building, but only two were dead. The SWAT member shook his head, getting into a sitting position. He looked around, seeing where he was and remembering what had happened to him. In a second he had, and thought to himself *Konoko, and Muro, you're both dead.* He stood, heading for the entrance to the parking garage, which was sealed off by a thick metal door. He prepared for the fight and the two deaths he would cause, and couldn't wait to cause those deaths, and any others he caused.  
End Chapter 4  
(1)Superball Gun- a grenade launcher, only with clustered grenades instead of normal ones.  
*Authors Note - Wondering about Mullen, the TCTF agent that just won't die, aren't you? Well, all will be explained next chapter, at least about Mullen. Also if you see any problems with my fight scenes, please tell me. I don't want to write fighting scenes that look fake and stupid. Thank you. Please Review! 


	5. Trouble and Help

Terms of Life, Terms of Death  
An Oni Fic by: Shamgi  
Chapter 5: Trouble and help  
*Words here*- Thoughts  
+Words Here+ - electronics (Radio, T.V., etc.)  
### - Flashback  
*** - Scene Change  
*#* - Character change(same scene, different character)  
)Words here( - Spooky voice(Spirit, telepathic comm., etc)  
  
*Authors Note- Well, it's been awhile, but I'm writing again. If you read my last chapter, you noticed there was a huge mistake in it. I fixed it, and now the chapter should be readable. I wish I could write more, but its finals next week, so I've been busy. Here we go, on with the fic!!  
  
Konoko and Muro stood outside the door to the underground complex, waiting for the hacker working on the door to finish. Wires stuck in all direction from the door control, and sparks flew occasionally. The hacker looked like he was doing fine, though Konoko didn't know how he could hope to open the door with that mess. With a creak and a groan, the door began to slide open slowly while the hacker stood and grinned. The door finished opening, and Konoko and Muro just saw several TCTF troopers trailing guns on the door frame before jumping to the side. The hacker, facing towards them, didn't dodge and took several shots in the back, sending him flying forwards and leaving dark red blood spots on his back and what was left of his shirt. Muro signaled, and one of his bodyguards handed him a rather large cylinder.   
  
*H2 Chem. grenade. Very destructive. Very illegal.*   
  
Konoko watched as he primed it, then tossed it through the door. Muro covered his ears, Konoko mimicking him. A large boom was heard, followed by green fire and a lot of smoke came rushing out the door. It cleared after a second, leaving a burning smell in Konoko's nostrils. She slowly peeked her head in, and seeing that the troopers remains were scattered all over the area, motioned to Muro and walked in the room. Other than the bits of armor left by the guards scattered everywhere, the room was bare. There was a small room built into the far wall, protected by a force field. Griffin sat in a chair, protected from all attack. He looked quite smug, and was smoking a cigar.   
  
"The twins arrive. What took you? I was expecting more from Michi's prized experiments."  
  
Konoko was burning with fury. This man had caused the deaths of most of his family, pitted her to the death against what was left of it, and had the nerve to sit there and pretend like it was nothing.   
  
"Why are you so cocky? You have nothing left to defend you but that force field, and I'm pretty sure we can just sit here until you rot in there." Muro's voice was calm, but Konoko could tell he was also burning up inside.  
  
"That's where you're wrong. I have one trick left, and it's quite a doozy. In fact, that should be it now."  
  
Muro's comm. had started receiving reports and was the man on the other end seemed to be screaming though the static. +Come in, and units. This is the squad from the parking garage. We're under attack! Repeat! We are under attack! It's a lone man, but nothing seems to stop him! He's like a tank!! Unable to hold him, requesting... Shit!!! Anyone please, help!! Ahhhh!!! *FZZZT*+ Muro switched frequencies, tuning in so he could talk to all his units. "This is Muro. All units converge on the parking garage. Detain any enemies you encounter." He received several answers, then hooked the radio back to his shirt.   
  
"That won't stop him you know. Nothing can. Just wait for him to show." Konoko and Muro looked back at Griffin, who looked quite relaxed. After several minutes of silence, Konoko heard the sounds of gunfire, which became steadily louder each passing second. Soon it was right outside the door, almost deafening. It cut off with a scream, and a figure appeared in the doorway. It was the TCTF agent from the roof, carrying a Striker by the neck in one hand and a struggling Fury by the leg in the other. With a smirk he crushed the Striker's neck with a squeeze, and then swung the Fury into the wall, bringing a sickening crack from the face of the Fury and a cease of her struggles. He tossed both bodies onto the floor, then stepped on their corpses. He began walking forward, berserkers rage evident in his eyes.   
  
Konoko reacted instantly, jumping forward and grabbing one the dead trooper's guns. Bringing the agents head into her sights, Konoko let loose a torrent of weapon fire, knocking his face backwards without moving his body. Muro joined in several seconds later, but not because of slow reactions, when Konoko had to reload, Muro still had half a clip left, and held of the seemly inhuman agent while she reloaded, with her performing the same job when he emptied. Konoko finally ran out of spare clips, carrying 10, Muro carrying just as many. For some reason, white smoke, Konoko guessed steam, had formed around the TCTF agents head, but when he stepped forward, she knew why. No skin remained on his face, replaced with a metal skull.   
  
*That smoke wasn't heat, that was his actual face! He isn't human!*  
  
"He's the new millennia of TCTF troopers. SLD(1) androids with superhuman strength and endurance, all due to the Neo-Titanium skeletons." Griffin seemed to swell in pride "Berserkers, they just love the look of dead bodies, and enjoy the killing. Easy to control, easy to build, easy to train. Codenamed Mullen, named after the TCTF agent he was modeled after. He's still in its prototype stages, but when it kills both of you, it'll be mass produced."   
  
The now reveled SLD marched towards them, death on its computer mind. Muro and Konoko were both in fighting stances, though they knew their chances to be slim. He had fallen off a building with no apparent damage, killed off their entire backup force, how could they hope to stop him?   
  
Konoko felt a twinge from a sense she didn't knew she possessed, and ducked. A vaguely human shape flew over her head, going to fast for her to track it clearly. She looked back, and saw a single man standing there; dressed in a TCTF officer's uniform and glowing slightly yellow. He wielded a short ninja's sword(2), which seemed to be made out of yellow chi. He smiled, then pointed back. Konoko turned around again, and saw Mullen, minus his right arm. It was lopped off, apparently by the mystery ninja's sword. The SLD stared at the stump which used to be his arm with a kind of detachment, it never felt the pain of the arm being lopped off, just a loss of sensors. It looked back up at the new arrival, and charged with blind fury. Yellow flashes of light flew out at the android, reveling themselves to be throwing knives when they stuck into the chest of the robot. The left arm soon followed the right, the daggers cutting straight through the metal like nothing. The sheer force of the combined impact knocked the SLD android on its back, and it didn't appear to be getting up anytime soon. Konoko was glad this mystery man seemed to be on their side.   
  
"Watson?!? What the hell are you doing? How are you doing that?" Griffin looked mad and confused, trying to figure out why his own man was betraying him, and how he possessed such power.   
  
"My name isn't Watson. It's Buttagiri Griffin, do you remember that name?"  
  
"It can't be you, you're dead! I made sure of it!" Griffin seemed to have gotten over his surprise and was edging towards a panel on the wall. He pushed a hidden button, and a wall slid up to revel several move Mullen androids, nearly 20 of them. "Kill them all!" The androids started forward, but Buttagiri was faster. Grabbing both Konoko and Muro, he carried both out the door in a flash, faster than Konoko could handle. She began to feel green, and saw black around the edge of her vision. She was about to fall unconscious, when Buttagiri finally stopped running. She looked around, dizzy, and saw they were on the top floor of the building.  
  
*He only ran for seconds, but we're already at the top of the building!*  
  
Muro was the first to recover enough to ask questions, and proceeded to. "Who are you, and how can you do that?"   
  
"Explanations later, but for now you can know I have a Chrysalis as well as you."  
  
Konoko was shocked, but this quickly subsided. "He's more powerful than he seems, and I could sense him.* When Konoko though about it, she also realized she could sense Muro, though he was much fainter in comparison to their new ally.   
  
Buttagiri seemed ready to take charge; it seemed he had planned it that way. "For right now though, we need to worry about this android threat. Right now neither of you could kill one of those things, together, much less alone. You need to progress in you stage of evolution of you're Chrysalis, which I will help you do."   
  
"How will that help us, other than to become stringer and faster? You needed weapons to kill those androids, and I suspect you couldn't do it with you're bare hands."  
  
"You're right, but I can do this."  
  
Buttagiri held out his hand, like he had a grip on a sword handle. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, and they were now glowing yellow. The yellow began traveling down his arm, also coming from other parts of his body. The glow became so bright Konoko had to close her eyes halfway, then it abruptly stopped. Konoko looked at his hand, which was now holding the sword he wielded earlier.   
  
"Of course, that was just for show."  
  
The sword disappeared, then after waiting for a couple a seconds, he had it reappear, no flash, no bang, it just faded in.   
  
Buttagiri was smiling, and Konoko stood there with her mouth open. She closed it quickly, trying not to look like a gawking fool. She knew the energy from the Chrysalis was powerful, but she didn't think its energy could be controlled like that.  
  
"Now you have to learn to do that. This won't be easy, and I can only tell you how, not show or help you. Are you two prepared?"  
  
Konoko quickly nodded, not giving the problem any thought. She would do anything to avenge her parents and uncle. Muro seemed to take the idea slower, but he also nodded.   
  
"Ok then, here we go."  
  
Konoko waited for him to begin explaining, and never saw the fist heading for her face. Then the world went black.  
  
*****  
  
Konoko awoke to find herself in an unfamiliar setting. She was in a void, devoid of any object, color, or any other distraction for the endless darkness. She tried to move, and found her body was completely numb, she could not physically move.   
  
)Seems lonely, doesn't it?(  
  
Konoko instantly remembered the voice from earlier, and know put it all together.  
  
*Ok, Buttagiri, what am I supposed to do in a void? There's nothing in this place!*   
  
)This isn't a void; first off, it's your soul. Everything here is part of you, and it together makes up the "you". Nothing is foreign, everything has been encountered before. Second, it isn't empty, just a little harder to notice things than normal. Look with your heart, and you shall see.(  
  
Konoko did as was told, looking around and looking with her heart. She did began to see, view events in her life, her view of other people, and her general emotions, all with colors brighter than anything she had ever seen. The void became surprisingly full, but one part stayed black, one part that seemed different from the rest, almost alien.  
  
)That is what you must conquer, if you are to succeed in your dream. That is the Chrysalis you see. It remains locked to you, and you must open it and discover the powers that lay inside. I leave it to you.(  
  
Konoko felt his presence vanish, then hers began to return. She could now feel her arms, then legs, then she had control over her whole body. She began to walk towards the void, intent on piercing it. She almost didn't notice the figure moving to block her way. She registered the figure, then gasped. The figure was her, and Konoko had deja vu to her dream in her father's lab. This Konoko, however, didn't seem intent on killing her, only keeping her from her goal. Konoko realized that this was her test, to defeat the clone and going access to the Chrysalis. Konoko charged the clone, jumping up into a kick that was aimed for the body. The clone-Konoko sidestepped, then grabbed Konoko's leg. Using her own momentum against her, clone-Konoko swung Konoko into the ground. As Konoko slammed into the ground, pain coursing through her body, Konoko wondered why the ground should be so hard in her own soul since pain was of the body. She jumped back to her feet, more cautious of her opponent this time. She went into a punch-punch-kick combo, quick and easy to use, but lacking power. The punches connected, knocking clone-Konoko off balance somewhat, but the kick was dodged, clone-Konoko taking a step backwards to get out of range. Konoko returned to a neutral stance, preparing her next offensive. Clone-Konoko was in a purely defensive form, and something was nagging Konoko about this. She pushed it from her mind, concerting more on the matter at hand. She rushed forward, faking an axe kick but bringing it down at an angle to sweep the feet. Clone-Konoko took the bait and blocked high, but still managed to jump up to dodge the kick and bring one of her own to the left side of Konoko's face. Konoko was sent flying to her right, skidding across the ground for about 5 feet. Konoko got to her feet, feeling blood well up in her mouth, tasting the coppery taste it had. She spit it out, and finally decided to listen to the voice in the back of her head.   
  
*Everything here is part of you, and it together makes up the "you". Nothing is foreign, everything has been encountered before.*  
  
*She isn't a clone, she is me. She knows what I know, can do what I do. She's using it to her advantage by playing defensive. She knows how I attack and how to counter...* Konoko trailed off at this seeing no way that she could win when her enemy knew every move she used. Then the trail of thought continued. *And I know how she'll counter my moves. So I can counter them and I've never dealt with someone countering my counters, so she won't know how to respond. This fight is mine*   
  
Konoko moved in, looking for an opening. She saw a false one, what looked like a defenseless right side, an old trick she had used to fool her sparring partners into attacking her. She took the bait with the generic attack used on her, a right snap kick. Clone-Konoko brought her hands up to catch the kick, but this time, Konoko knew it was coming. Her right foot went flying in the other direction as Konoko dropped her whole body in a left side kick. With her whole weight behind it, her left foot connected with clone-Konoko's lower midsection. Several cracks emerged open impact, and clone-Konoko dropped to her knees, while Konoko fell on her back. Konoko got back on her feet, but the clone didn't. She sat there, holding her cracked pelvis, unmoving. Konoko waited a moment, then walked past her, heading for the Chrysalis. Clone-Konoko struck out, aiming for Konoko's legs. Konoko was prepared, jumping and landing a kick to Clone-Konoko's head. Clone-Konoko's neck spanned to the side, then she fell to the ground, no fight left in her.   
  
"Final match, TCTF championships. Winning attack." Konoko named the place where she had used the same feint to defeat the original Mullen.  
  
"You figured it out." The other version of her talked for the first time, commenting on her victory. "We were always a little to aggressive, but we had the skills and smarts to back it up. If we had ever met someone who could do what we did to each other, we'd have been dead. We are starting to learn to think our enemies through, and we should use that often. It might save our lives."  
  
"You're right, but you're also hurt. Maybe even dying."  
  
Clone-Konoko stood up, looking as good as ever. "Not really. This is our own soul. We can not be hurt of killed here. Now open the Chrysalis and get back to the real world, you have unfinished business there.  
  
Konoko nodded, and started forward towards the Chrysalis. She reached the edge of the black void, and closing her eyes, entered it. She opened her eyes after a second, and saw what the True Chrysalis was...  
  
Konoko gasped and sat up. She looked around, confused, and discovered her surroundings to be the top floor of TCTF headquarters. She looked up into the questioning face of Buttagiri, and nodded, she had done it. He smiled, and helped her sit up. They now had a fighting chance.   
  
SLD(1)= Simulated life doll, an android.   
Ninja sword(2)= If you know what the name for these are, could you tell me? (This isn't a Katana, It's different)   
  
End Chapter 5  
Authors Notes- I know this took awhile, at least what I think was awhile, but it was finals week last week, and the chapter is three times as long as normal. After you read this, I should already be starting chapter 6. So, if you enjoyed, please let me know, then wait for the next chapter. 


	6. The many chapters

Terms of Life, Terms of Death  
An Oni Fic by: Shamgi  
Chapter Several: The many chapters I was to lazy to split up  
*Words here*- Thoughts  
+Words Here+ - electronics (Radio, T.V., etc.)  
### - Flashback  
*** - Scene Change  
*#* - Character change(same scene, different character)  
^^^ - Chapter change(This part of the fic only)  
)Words here( - Spooky voice(Spirit, telepathic comm., etc)  
  
*Authors Note- Ok, I know I haven't put up a chapter in almost a week, but there's a reason. I went on vacation. I live in Alaska, and my relatives love to fish, so every year they come up for two weeks half of which is spend in motor home fishing. I tried to leave a notice, but Fanfiction.net was screwing with my user name, making me sign up several times and not letting me do anything. Some good came out of this vacation(In relation to the story, plenty of good came out of their trip up here), I got a chance to brain storm. I was far away from a computer for a week trapped in a motor home, which left plenty of time to think. Other than idea's for several other stories, I got some good ideas for this one, Like a Chrysalis sequence for Muro(which I wasn't planning on writing, but my friend said to), and I got several chapters ahead, so I know where's this story is actually going for a while.(Normally, I have just as much clue as you do, I just write what comes to mind :) Also, this chapter is going to be pretty long on the fact that it's going to be what I planned to be several chapters all rolled in to one. I don't feel like writing three or four separate chapters(plus a bonus chapter!) So it's all going to be one. In the future, I may split it up, but for now, it's just one big chapter. The first part is the bonus, Chapter 5.5 really. And because people want it, Most of this will be from Muro's view point! So relax, enjoy, and review with any comments, good or bad.*   
  
*P.S. If any of you get pissed off at my portrayal of Muro's feeling and mental beliefs, the game never really showed them, so I improvised. If you don't like it, this is my story, so write you're own. I'd be glad to read it(and I'm not being sarcastic)*  
  
*P.P.S. I unloaded this earlier, but it was deleted for some reason. So that puts the wait time at about a week and a hlak now. I'm, like always, working on the story as I write this. I just don't stop for a while once I start. Ah, well. Hope to have some Ranma FanFic's and an OMG(AMG) fic up soon.   
  
  
*Power. Complete and total power*  
  
Muro looked around him, watching the red fire burn fiercely around him, his own aura intermixing with it. He had quickly figured out this to be his own soul, and was amazed at the power it contained.  
  
Ever since he had been little, Muro had wanted power. Not political power, or any other false power, just pure power. The power to fight. The power the win. The power to defend people he loved and to kill those who threatened him. That desire had shown in his fighting style and in his powerful, but uncontrolled attacks, and that desire for power had kept his focused and alive through his life and later his rise through the ranks of the Syndicate. He had never been able the quench that thirst, but he felt he would in here. He walked forward, not fazed that there seemed to be no down, he had visited his own soul before, and knew how to operate in it. He felt something behind him, and turned. There stood another him, ready to fight. Still Muro was not surprised, he had often sparred with himself in his soul. Something was different though, something about the other him. The other him seemed to possess less power than he did, but radiated it differently. Muro pushed this fact aside, he couldn't be surprised but himself, this was obviously a fighting style Muro had learned, but had forgotten. He charged the Clone-Muro headlong in a tackle. Clone-Muro jumped over the tackle, landing a kick to the back of Muro's head, sending him forward, off balance. He slammed headfirst into the invisible ground, feeling several teeth come loose. He ignored it, knowing the damage wouldn't last. He stood, and faced the Clone-Muro. He charged again, but not headlong. He reached the clone and attacked with several punches and kicks, aiming at all parts of the body to make them harder to dodge. The Clone-Muro did dodge them however, with apparent ease. How it happened, Muro didn't know, but Clone-Muro ended up behind him. He brought his fist down on Muro's neck in a chop, lacking power but making up for it in accuracy. When it made contact, it brought Muro to his knees. He sat there, surprised. The hit had lacked power, the power he had believed was the key to any victory.   
  
"You haven't learned yet, and I can't teach you. Go there and come back when you have learned what you need." The Clone-Muro pointed to a spot father off, then turned and disappeared, moving to a different part of his soul. Muro sat there stunned. He had lost to himself, and the other him had been using less power. Muro had always believed that with enough power, anyone could be defeated, yet he had been defeated with his opponent using less power. This went against everything he had believed since birth. He stood dumbly, walking towards to spot where Clone-Muro had pointed. He reached a point, then everything went black. He didn't fall unconscious, his surroundings just faded into black. A path appeared, colored red. He walked it, till it diverged. He looked down each path, and saw himself as he would be if he took the path. The first showed him exactly as he was, no real apparent change. The second, however, show him as a monster, 9 feet tall, covered in weird growths, and filled with more power he ever hoped to have. He wondered what path he should choose, then realized something. Before in his life, even days ago, he would have chosen the path of power. He would have become a monster, but gained the power he had desired. Now, however, he was leaning the other way, which would leave him normal. He probed his mind to discover why this change in ideas had been made, and came to the conclusion it was the lost battle. He discarded that idea quickly though, as he realized that up until this point, he had thought that battle was a fluke, and the reason lay in a different experience.  
  
*Konoko*  
  
That was it. The reason. In a space of hours, he and his sister had gone from bitter enemies to partners and friends, but they were still on shaky ground. They hardly knew each other, and were trying to fix that, even in the middle of a battle zone.   
  
*If I became that monster, I would have the power to protect her, but at the cost of her as well. The other path might not give him power, but he would still have a chance to have a relation ship with his sister, one of brother and sister. It was at this point that Muro learned that there are more important things in life than power, such as friends and family, both of which he had lacked in his life. He had almost had a friend, once, but he had been killed by his own sister, when he had tried to hide the truth of her life from her.   
  
Muro inhaled deeply, then walked the path of the normal him, waiting for the change. It did not come, but understanding did.  
  
)Power is a great weapon, but uncontrolled power will always lose to a controlled one, even if the power is weaker. This is why you lost, and this is what you can learn and use.(   
  
The voice was his, and Muro understood. He began to suppress his power, bringing it under his full control.  
  
)Now you are ready to face the real Chrysalis. You have but one task to fulfill.(  
  
Muro was back where he started, in the swirling void of his soul. The raging power again flowed around him, but this time his power didn't mix, it was slightly different, it was under control. Muro saw himself walk away, then turn towards him, and he knew what was happening. The battle he had fought before played out the same way as it had before, only from a different viewpoint. He realized the mistakes he had made with his uncontrolled power, his moves were easy to read, and easy to dodge. He landed the chop to the back, then repeated the same lines Clone-Muro had told him. He turned, and walked into the true Chrysalis, stopping to gasp at its true power...  
  
Muro awoke, rubbing his head, then let a slow smile crept on his face. He had done it, and remained the same. Power wasn't everything, but it could make a difference.  
  
  
^^^^^  
  
Muro, Konoko, and Buttagiri walked with a purpose, heading down the building. At the upper level, they didn't even bother to use the stairs, they simply jumped down to the base level. The androids were there, waiting, they apparently didn't search very hard. They rushed the trio, intent on destruction. Buttagiri nodded to Muro and Konoko, then turned back. He held out his hands and formed his ninja sword, held in a one handed reverse grip. Muro and Konoko also held their hands out, forming weapons of their own. Konoko's came first, a Katana that was about four feet long, glowing purple as she held it with both hands at eye level in a two handed pose, the tip of the blade pointing towards the androids. Muro's weapon took longer to form, but it became obvious why. It was a double edged broadsword, six feet long and three feet wide, glowing blood red as he let it rest on the floor, tip facing backwards. The androids stopped, mystified at where the weapons had appeared, but resumed their charge. The three weapon bearers moved at varying paces, from breakneck speeds, to mild runs. Buttagiri slashed by the lead android, it falling into two pieces when gravity finally noticed the cut he had made. Konoko flowed like water, in quick succession lopping off the left and right arms of an android, followed closely by the head. Muro swung his sword in a 180 degree arc from left to right, slicing three of the androids to bits in the single slice. In seconds the squad of androids had been reduced to piles of parts, wires sticking from them.  
  
"What do we do now?" Muro looked across the battlefield, noting how clean the slices were.  
  
"We run. The entire force of the TCTF is bearing down on this building, and I would rather not have to kill all of them just to get to Griffin." Buttagiri looked at the pair and both Konoko and Muro nodded, they knew they could perform that task, but neither planned to prove it. A thought came to Konoko, and she turned to the other two. "We need to get to the Parking Garage. I know how we can get away. Konoko started down the building, Muro and Buttagiri following her.   
  
*****  
  
The TCTF Parking Garage was abandoned, having faced a shootout and an enraged Mullen. Konoko walked to a far wall, far from where the normal parking was, Muro and Buttagiri watching with interest. Konoko reached and touched the wall, which opened up into a keypad. She quickly put in several numbers, then closed that mini door. A rumble went through the floor, and a large section of the wall rose next to Konoko. Inside was a single truck, looking like most the others the TCTF SWAT members used to deploy, only larger. Konoko hopped into the cab and drove the truck out. Parking it so that the back doors faced the entrance from the main building. Konoko opened the back doors, and motioned Muro and Buttagiri over.   
  
"What is this?" Muro looked over the truck. He had never seen or heard of it, and kept several spies to look for the TCTF's new weapons.  
  
"This is what would cause the end to the Syndicate, if it was mass produced. 5 inches of pure Neo-Titanium Armor." Konoko pulled out a weapon which looked quite like a pulse rifle, only about twice the size and a cord running from the butt of the gun to the side of the wall.   
  
"Pulse Rifle MK2." At that moment, several TCTF troopers came through the door, looking for the trio. Konoko reacted instantly, sending the guards into panic as the Pulse Rifle fired at a rate no Pulse Rifle could hope to match.  
  
"Three times the firing rate with a near unlimited ammo clip thanks to the feed cord." She motioned to the cord. "Now Buttagiri, drive this thing, Muro, put on that armor and cover me when you're done." Muro and Buttagiri obeyed her orders, Buttagiri getting into the drivers seat while Muro jumped into the one of the many full body armor suits hanging on a rack, listing to Konoko rain cover fire on the doors.. He examined the armor, it was cloth on the inside, and a normal bullet-proof vest and simple helmet with visor, except it was smoother and had a shine to it. As he attached the safety ropes to keep himself from falling out of the assault van as it was moving, he questioned Konoko on the armor.  
  
"It's a regular vest, except for the 2mm diamond coating melted on to it." Seeming Muro hooked up and with a gun of his own, Konoko began to get into her own armor, leaving Muro to provide cover, and was soon also hooked up. Buttagiri had not been idle, the seemed to also be armor up front for driver.   
  
"Gun it!" Konoko shouted, and Buttagiri moved out of the garage, slamming into some hastily erected barricades by the TCTF. Almost instantly, they had pursuit in the form of two TCTF street cars. Konoko took one, and Muro the other, and was easy to see the TCTF was outclassed. Both cars were covered in burn marks and flaming in mere seconds, and veered into each other with a crash. Several more cars followed, firing with no effect and soon meeting the same fate. Muro was glad for how well the safety cord was designed, with the turns Buttagiri was making and the speed they were going, he would have been on the street long ago. Through the whistling of the wind, the wail of the sirens, and the sound of his gun, Muro heard a different noise, and looked up. A TCTF chopper was trailing them, and had the guns to take them down. Muro stopped firing and motioned to Konoko. She followed his finger up, then used the built in comm. to talk to Buttagiri, Muro listing with his own.  
  
+Buttagiri, come in!+  
  
+I here you, what's up?+  
  
+We have a chopper tailing us. I need you to do something.+  
  
+Ok, tell me what you need.+  
  
+Next to the steering wheel, there should be a panel with several buttons on it.+  
  
+Roger, I see it.+   
  
+I want you to press the red button on the far left side.+  
  
+Done.+  
  
+Now push the green, yellow, and blue buttons in that order.+  
  
+Gotcha. Anything else?+  
  
+Just hit the big button on the bottom, the white one and that's it.+  
  
+K. Done.+  
  
Muro and Konoko turned to look back up at the chopper, which had now gotten much closer to the ground. Muro heard several sounds that were quickly followed by about a dozen missiles that locked onto the Helicopter. The missiles hit, causing several explosions across hull. The chopper began to smoke and list to the right, where it slammed into a building jutting out into the sky. The road was now clear, no pursuit in sight. Muro and Konoko stayed on watch till they left the main part of the city, and finally unhooked when they pulled into an abandoned garage. Then they settled down for the night.  
  
^^^^^  
  
Muro, Konoko and Buttagiri sat around a portable light they had managed to find, to nervous to sleep, and to tired to really do anything.   
  
"Would either of you be willing to tell me the trial you had to go through to unlock the Chrysalis?"  
  
Muro and Konoko looked at Buttagiri, surprised. Both thought quickly, realizing they thought the trial something personal and not to be shared with just anybody. Buttagiri was not just anybody though, so they agreed. "But only if you tell us of yours." Muro bargained   
  
"Fair enough. Who's going first?"  
  
"I will." Konoko's jaw was set, then began to relax as she talked.   
  
"When I went into my soul, I was faced with what I thought was a clone of myself, and fought with her. She knew my every move, and avoided and countered every attack I used. I finally realized she was me, and knew how I would attack. So I fought her in a way I had never been fought before, and she taught me to not assume that I was ready for everyone and everything, that I did have weaknesses."  
  
Buttagiri looked at Muro and he took a deep breath before he began.   
  
"When I entered my soul, I was also faced with myself. When we fought, I lost, even though he had lesser power than I did. I had always believed that Power was the greatest force, nothing could beat a greater power. I didn't understand how I could have lost. I was later faced with two paths, one with great power but a monstrous body, and one that seemed unchanged. I chose the unchanged route for my own reasons, and learned what I had been lacking. A powerful person is great, but a less powerful person with more control of their power, will win, even with less power."  
  
Both Muro and Konoko look at Buttagiri. They had filled their part of the bargain, it was his turn.   
  
"I was an intern for you're dad and uncle, and was chosen for the first test subject. After I was implanted, I was guided into unlocking the Chrysalis, You're father and Uncle had put it there as a protection to prevent just anyone from using it's power. When I entered my soul, I also faced myself, but a different version. He showed me how I would change, and the results of that change were not desirable. I swore to change that fate, and the Chrysalis accepted that. Once I had changed that future, I would gain my powers. I began to learn Ninjutsu, and quickly became a master in the art. I became a ninja for hire, and I was soon the best known ninja in my circles. I finally decided to keep work for only one person, and when I meet with my boss, he asked for my name, and I have him one I had prepared."  
  
Buttagiri took a deep breath, then continued.  
  
"Mukade."  
  
End Chapter(s)  
  
Authors Note-Quite a way to end a chapter, huh? To tell you the truth, it surprised me as much as it should have surprised you. I was thinking of a way to have Buttagiri work into the story, and this just came to me. This part may not have been as long as I made it sound, but I do what I can, so be patient. This is to Uryan, about how a Japanese Ninja would know French(see second chapter), what happens of Mukade isn't Japanese?(If I haven't made it clear, Buttagiri is of European decent, with blond hair and blue eyes) 


	7. I know I'm skipping chapters

Terms of Life, Terms of Death  
An Oni Fic by: Shamgi  
Chapter 8: I know I'm skipping chapters   
*Words here*- Thoughts  
+Words Here+ - electronics (Radio, T.V., etc.)  
### - Flashback  
*** - Scene Change  
*#* - Character change(same scene, different character)  
)Words here( - Spooky voice(Spirit, telepathic comm., etc)  
  
*Authors Note- Well, This past week has been crazy. I'm having a friend move, I've had people over for most of the weekend, and I've gotten little sleep. Now I've got my trusty Mountain Dew(With Code Red for emergencies) and I'm going to write. I've been writing out several other chapters, most of which should be ready by the time fanfiction.net goes back up. Heck, by the time you read this, fanfiction.net will be up, so the stories will have already been loaded up. So if you like Ranma, Oh! My Goddess(Ah! My Goddess for all you hardcore watchers out there), or Final Fantasy 7 and 10(I can't promise this one will be up) click on my name and read my other stories. Please. Well, on with the fic!  
  
Konoko and Muro froze, each trying to fathom hat statement. Konoko couldn't help deny it.  
  
"I killed Mukade! I snapped his neck!"  
  
"And it hurt quite a bit, but here I am."  
  
Something hi Muro, while he was thinking if he had ever seen Mukade's face.   
  
"The Chrysalis."  
  
"Yes, the Chrysalis. It repaired my neck and spinal cord before my brain could die, I was gone minutes after you were Konoko."  
  
"So, you knew how our father..."  
  
"Worse, I watched. A TCTF raid hit the building, you're father and uncle weren't working legally. He gave up, but tried to keep them from the room you two were in. They shot him, and then took both of you. I managed to escape, but you're uncle got caught along the way."  
  
Konoko started to feel anger towards Buttagiri. *He could have stayed, protected them.*  
  
*And what, died? You know how TCTF raids work just as well as I do, They would have shot him without hesitation.* Konoko was forced to agree wit the part of her that was in Buttagiri's defense, he would have accomplished nothing by staying.  
  
"Don't worry about all this tonight. Tomorrow will be quite a busy day."  
  
*That's one way to put it* Konoko curled up into a semi comfortable position, then fell asleep.  
  
*****  
Specialist Sulu was busy working on the doors to the back of the stolen, then abandoned van. He had managed to hotwire the controls, and had just now gotten them to unlock. He smiled in satisfaction as the doors gave a click to indicate they had been unlocked. He and two others went inside, leaving the other two officers outside. They began checking every corner keeping careful watch in case the van wasn't abandoned. Sulu went into the front of the van pistol drawn. He saw a piece of paper covering the wheel, and removed it. Underneath were the words "Goodbye." craved into the wheel and a timer which read 5 seconds. He heard a startled cry from the back of the van as one of the soldiers found the explosives, and the click that indicated the doors were all locked.  
  
*Well, at least it'll be over soon.*  
  
*****  
Outside the van, the two guards stood sharing small talk, when a very loud noise and shaking threw them off their feet. They turned to look at he van, it was intact, though it seemed puffed out quite a bit. One guard went and opened the back door, then closed it from the sight and smell. The other looked at him, and he shook his head, no one was left alive.  
  
*****  
  
The sun was rising, and the day had just begun. The TCTF team on the street didn't notice, to busy keeping guard. The stolen van had been found inside the garage they were standing in front of, and the team they had sent in was busy. Several bums watched from the end of the street, wondering what was going on. One TCTF member watched them with disgust.  
  
"Why don't we get that trash cleaned up off the street?" He kept his weapon trained on the group, and he looked ready to fire. He got a call from his radio, then turned to the rest of his group.   
  
"The van was booby trapped. Killed all the guys inside. We need to report back in."  
  
Due to his turning around, the officer never noticed the three figures disengage themselves from the main group of bums and disappear into the shadows.  
  
*****  
  
The city was put on a city wide alert, and patrol vans began roaming the streets, looking for the trio of convicts. One van stopped to search a large group of people, and about half a dozen cops emerged from the back, all carrying pulse rifles. They began a simple but clean search, they would check someone, and if they came out clean, they crossed the street. The officers went through most of the crowd, until only about twenty people were left. A pair of bums approached the checking spot, one swaying heavily, and the other, a girl, supporting him.   
  
"Could you please make this quick? My friend here got quite drunk last night and I need to take him home." The officer nodded in understanding, he often ending up thee one to take his drunken friends home and knew the quicker you did it, the better. He ran through a quick scanning check, skipping many of the things that were standard. Both checked out as clean of any illegal weapons or items, so he let them pass. He turned to check the next person, but something caught his eye on his monitor. He looked and discovered that the drunken one had a blood alcohol level of 0; he hadn't been drinking for nearly a day. He ran the ID of the false drunk, and it matched one of the three that was wanted. He turned and shouted, "Stop them!!" but it was two late, the pair, realizing their cover was broken, had already taken down two of the guards on the other side. The last guard fell to a rain of plasma, body still twitching from the energy. The trooper turned to the two guards on his side, but both were on the ground, a figure standing behind them. The trooper raised his hands in defeat, and let one of the group check him over, taking his issue pistol. He then felt a strong force to the back, and knew the blackness of unconscious.  
  
*****  
  
Griffin sat in his office, fuming. It had been nearly a day since the search had started, and they had not been able to even get an idea of where these freaks of nature were. He believed that humans only needed robots to survive, and any biological change was just against Mother Nature. He had only gone alone with it because of the power both had displayed, but it had not gone the way he planned. They were uncontrolled, and didn't follow orders. One questioned orders on a regular basis, and he other worked his own jobs. They didn't follow his every order, could think for themselves, and were otherwise disobedient. They were failed experiments, and needed to be disposed of. He brought up a picture of the newest weapon he had at his disposal, and smiled. It was perfect, would follow any order, and would crush the freaks of nature in an instant.  
  
*****  
  
Konoko shivered, and scooted closer to the fire. She was tired, and was about ready to go to sleep, if not for waiting for Buttagiri and Muro. They had fought off hundreds of guards today, and she was ready to rest. Muro and Buttagiri had gone to do some scouting, making sure that they wouldn't be attacked in the middle of the night. Konoko had stayed behind in an alley, making sure no one took the place for themselves. She had found plenty of paper and wood, and had used her last plasma round to light the pile for a fire. She wasn't worried about being spotted, fires were common in alleys at night, and one without one was more suspicious then one that had a fire. She now sat, trying to both stay warm and stay awake. The wind blew a slight gust, and Muro and Buttagiri appeared. Both moved towards the fire quickly, the night was cold and both lacked any sort of way to stay warm. They sat there in an uncomfortable silence before Muro finally brought up the subject.   
  
"What should we do? We can't just go around taking out TCTF officers like this. We need a plan, and need one fast."  
  
Something struck Konoko, and she spoke. "I think I have an idea, though I don't know if you'll like it."  
  
End Chapter 8  
*Authors Note- Well, I know have 3 more stories up, so go and read them if you want to. None are more than one chapter long, but I'll fix that as soon as I finish more chapters. I managed to obtain a laptop, so writing should go faster for me. I don't know how long chapter 9 will take, since I have much more to write. 


	8. A really stupid plan

Terms of Life, Terms of Death  
An Oni Fic by: Shamgi  
Chapter 9: A really stupid plan   
*Words here*- Thoughts  
+Words Here+ - electronics (Radio, T.V., etc.)  
### - Flashback  
*** - Scene Change  
*#* - Character change(same scene, different character)  
)Words here( - Spooky voice(Spirit, telepathic comm., etc)  
*Authors Note- Ok, I've been having trouble with my new laptop that I'm using to type these stories, so you'll have a 2 chapter once I get these up. That's all I really have to say, other than please R&R and NeverWinter Nights kicks serious a$$.  
  
"That's you plan?!? That's a really stupid plan!" Muro had shock written all over his face, wondering how his sister had come up with something so stupid. Konoko nodded. "Yep. I said you wouldn't like it."  
  
Buttagiri looked from one sibling to the other. "It is really stupid, and I don't like it, but the best way in. Griffin would never think we could do it either." He was frowning, thinking of what was ahead.  
  
Konoko laid down already fading to sleep. "Well, we have to wait till tomorrow to use it anyway, so we might as well just sleep.   
  
*****  
  
Griffin looked through the street, intent of finding the freaks. After the losses they had suffered, Griffin had decided to join in the search, and was now seated in the turret of one of the three TCTF's riot control trucks in the convoy. Normally equipped with a mass stun gun and tear gas, the gun now held the lethal forms of energy rounds, and Griffin was an expert in their use. He scanned the entire area in front of him, hoping to spot his targets, knowing that with a city this big and their hiding abilities, it would take a miracle for him to actually see them. He got his miracle.   
  
Griffin spotted three bums walking along the road, covered head to toe in blankets to protect them from the chilly morning. They headed towards the group of officers and trucks. Two TCTF agents went out to stop them, as all traffic was bring directed the other way. The two agents got within feet of the bums, and asked them to stop. One turned to the pair, and drew a purple sword from seemly nowhere. Both of the officers stood there shocked, and the figure, who Griffin knew to be Konoko, cut their guns into several pieces, then knocked each out with a swift chop to the back of the neck. Griffin shouted out a mass order to fire, and put action to words. He rained plasma onto the street, aiming to kill. His troops followed, using pulse rifles and machineguns to turn the street into a death zone. The three figures blocked with their weapons dancing around and through the bullets and energy. Griffin's fire was focused on Konoko, and he managed to get a hit through her sword. Konoko staggered, losing control of her sword. No longer blocking, she was vulnerable to the projectiles whizzing through the air. She took nearly thirty shots, the impacts holding her in the air. She finally fell, unmoving. Buttagiri ran to her rescue, wielding his sword in one hand, deflecting weapon fire as he ran. A stray shot, a bullet that had bounced off the side of a building, caught him in the face, sending him skidding next to Konoko. Muro roared in rage, and began marching towards the vans. He took shot after shot, slowing him but not stopping him. Griffin saw how useless it was to fire with his weapon, and reaching under, pulled a grenade launcher. Loading it with a shrapnel round and yelling to his troops to take cover, he fired. The explosive impacted with Muro's chest, sending a hail of hot metal and smoke everywhere. When it cleared, Muro lay on the ground, cloths shredded, cuts all along his body. Griffin noted that Muro's body was still in one piece, a testament to the Chrysalis's quick healing abilities. Griffin motioned to one of the officers.  
  
"Check them." the officer moved out slowly, attempting to train his gun on all three of the suspects at once. Reaching Muro, the officer put his hand to Muro's neck, discovering him to be a corpse.   
  
"One dead!" He shouted back, then moved towards the remaining bodies. Konoko was in the same shape, her skin melted and sticking to the street due to the plasma, but Buttagiri was still alive, if barely.   
  
"We got a live one! Bad shape though." Indeed, the man could just feel Buttagiri's pulse, beating slower than the man thought possible. Incredibility, Buttagiri was still awake, eyes drifting. In a swift motion, Buttagiri latched onto the officer's arm, surprising him to the point of almost shooting. The officer finally saw the hole in the left side of Buttagiri's forehead, having been hidden from his viewpoint before.   
  
"Am...am I...dy...ing?" Buttagiri's eyes were glazed over, staring straight at the man, causing him to become even more unnerved.  
  
"Yes, you're dying." Buttagiri looked like he wanted to say something else, but never got the chance. His am fell limp, his head rolled to the side. The man felt fir his pulse, but it was gone. All three were dead.  
  
"Bag them up, and send them to the TCTF morgue. I want to have them cut open, checked by the scientists."  
  
*****  
  
The morgue was empty, minus the dead bodies of convicts and criminals shot or otherwise killed. Three new body bags lay on the operating table, awaiting their turn to be sorted. A faint rustling could be heard, though it could just be the wind.   
  
The rustling became louder, soon loud enough to cause a guard to come into the room. He moved to one of the body bags, looking around lazily. He reached the table, looking down at the bag.   
  
"You're the new guy's, huh? Well, stay dead; I'd rather not deal with zombies." He poked the bag, hard enough to shift the position by a good deal. A ripping sound caused him to spin, gun up and ready. Buttagiri was crawling out of his bag, hole still in his head. The guard froze in fear, shaking slightly. Ripping behind him shocked him into moving. He spun back to his original position. A hand, covered in burned and melted skin was sticking out the bag, waving back and forth. The guard whimpered, then fell to the ground in a dead faint. Konoko ripped the rest of the bag, finally crating a big enough hole to allow her to escape the bag that held her. She stood, skin in strange and disgusting positions due to melting and cooling in different spots. Muro was also out, but had been out of view of the guard. Buttagiri walked over to Konoko, then wrinkled his nose.   
  
"You don't smell the greatest. Heck, we won't be able sneak around because of the smell!"  
  
Konoko gave him an evil look, responding with, "Well, burnt flesh isn't exactly the best smell."  
  
Muro just looked at both of them and himself, then finally stated. "I still think this was a really stupid, and painful, plan."  
  
"Nope, Murphy's law is in effect*." Both Buttagiri and Muro stared at her, not understanding.  
  
"C'mon, neither of you know who Murphy was?" Both shook their heads, and she just sighed.   
  
"I can't believe neither of you know some of the best made rules of combat."  
  
End Chapter 9  
*Authors Note- Well, I have become bum here recently. I haven't been writing enough, and have been playing NeverWinter Nights, which by the way, is a soul sucking game(Otherwise, a really good one.) Murphy's Law, if you don't know, are several all true laws about war and can also be applied to every day life. Samples include:  
  
If it's stupid and it works, it not stupid.(The one I used)  
  
Things that work together, aren't shipped together.  
  
If you are short of everything but enemy, you are in combat.  
  
Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than you.  
  
Fire support will always fall short.  
  
The best way is always simple.  
  
The simple way is always hard.  
  
The easy way is always mined.  
  
The enemy would never come from that way.  
  
These are just samples, there are many more(about two our three pages worth) Well, that ends my lesson of rules of warfare, so I'm going to sleep. 


	9. More Plot Twists

Terms of Life, Terms of Death  
An Oni Fic by: Shamgi  
Chapter 10: More Plot Twists   
*Words here*- Thoughts  
+Words Here+ - electronics (Radio, T.V., etc.)  
### - Flashback  
*** - Scene Change  
*#* - Character change(same scene, different character)  
)Words here( - Spooky voice(Spirit, telepathic comm., etc)  
*Authors Note- I have been writing plenty, just not this story. Well, time to write again, since this story is my best running one. So, on with the fic!  
  
Muro, Konoko, and Buttagiri waited in the morgue, allowing their wounds to heal. Buttagiri was the quickest to heal, having only a single wound and not requiring. Muro took longer, but was still healed quickly and easily found a change of cloths. Konoko however took almost an hour, having to literally shed her skin and grow replacements.  
  
Muro checked his watch for the third time, agitation clearly on his face. "Can't you heal faster? We are on a time limit here. We don't want to get caught."  
  
Konoko glared at Muro, a large piece of burnt skin falling off her face, showing new skin so pale it was see through. "You know what? Let's set you on fire and see how you like it. It's not a fun experience, as it's not like normal pain. Having to lie still while my skin is boiling was not an easy thing to do."  
  
"Well, getting hit in the chest with a grenade is isn't exactly painless either."  
  
"I bet it isn't, but that still doesn't beat having all you're on fire or diving into a vat of acid strong enough to dissolve metal,"  
  
"You've never done that!"  
  
"Sure I have. When I snuck into the TCTF labs, it was my only way out, so I took it."  
  
Buttagiri laughed, causing Muro and Konoko to look at him. "Do you know how strange you sound? You're boasting at injuries that would kill normal people. People wouldn't even begin to believe you."  
  
Konoko gave Buttagiri a sly look. "What's long Buttagiri, have no stories of you're own?"  
  
"Ha! You have no idea what real pain is. I'll tell you some of my stories..."  
  
*****  
  
The door to the morgue opened, Konoko's now healed head sticking out. She looked around, scanning the hall for threats. Seeing none, she opened it farther, moving forward and showing her new set of cloths, a yellow shirt that looked a little large for her, and a nice pair of blue jeans, Buttagiri and Muro following in their pilfered TCTF uniforms. They crept through the halls, depending on Konoko's knowledge of the TCTF to guide them. They found a door that had "Barracks Hall 2A" written on it in blue.  
  
"Should we risk it and go in?" Konoko asked. Both Muro and Buttagiri shook their heads, they would be able to take what was in there, but stealth was their ally. Charging Gung-ho into the barracks would destroy their element of stealth.  
  
Konoko continued on, encountering few doors, strange for the usually efficient TCTF building layouts. "Something's weird about this place."  
  
"What'd you mean?"   
  
"The way this base is. It's spacious, unguarded. No TCTF center would be this loose. They get as much out of their buildings as they can. They also guard them extremely well, considering the fact the stuff handled by them is rare and valuable, so they have to watch out for theft.  
  
"So, this isn't a normal base." Buttagiri looked around, questioning look on his face.   
  
"It can't be. Problem is, I've never even heard of this place. I'm as lost as you two."  
  
"Well, there's no point in going back to the morgue. Let's just keep going until we find something."  
  
Muro and Konoko nodded, already looking around.  
  
"We can split up. Report if you hear anything."  
  
"How? We kind of don't have anything except our cloths, and our weapons."  
  
)You seem to have forgotten about this.( The voice caused both Konoko and Muro to jump. They had forgotten he could do that.  
  
"How do you do that?"  
  
"Simply think about what you want to say, and who you want to say it to. It only works for us three though. Need a Chrysalis to be able to hear it."  
  
)LIKE THIS?( Konoko thought, mentally shouting because you how hard she had thought. She looked back and forth from Muro and Buttagiri, who were holding their ears in a vain attempt to block out the shout.  
  
"Yes, like that, only, please, not so strong."  
  
)Is this better?(  
  
"Yes. Much"  
  
)My turn. How is it?(  
  
"Great. Ok, next time we come to a fork, one will take it. Same for the next fork." They continued forward, never dropping their guard, even though they had not run into any other human in over an hour. They came to a T-Bone in the hallway; Konoko went left, while Muro and Buttagiri went right. Continuing on, Muro and Buttagiri eventually found another T-Bone, this time Buttagiri went left, Muro right. The three just hoped they hadn't made a mistake by splitting up.  
  
*#*#*  
  
Muro shifted his weight forward, peering around the corner. He had found an opened door, which seemed to lead to a mess hall; it was currently filled with scientists. There was about twenty of them, with no guards or TCTF officers in sight. Muro decided to wait for one to finish, as he guarded the only exit. Soon, no longer than five minutes, a scientist walked out, a balding man with gray hair and mustache. Muro grabbed him from behind, so fast the man had no chance of struggle.  
  
"We're going to do this really easy. We're going where you were going to go, and you're going to either show me or tell me why you're here. Of course, you could try to resist, try to let others know I'm here, and I'm sure they'll some flowers for you're bravery at you're closed casket funeral. Now, do you understand?"  
  
The man nodded, and Muro slowly let him go. He didn't resist or try to yell, he simply continued walking, though his walk was quicker, more tense, he was obviously afraid. Muro could use this to his advantage, and he knew just how to do it.  
  
*#*#*  
  
Buttagiri checked yet another door, finding the lab empty. His path had led him to the main labs, proving Konoko was correct, this was not a normal lab. Buttagiri already knew which labs were empty and which weren't, but he took no chances. He could feel life, just as Konoko and Muro could, but had much more experience with it, he could tell where normal people where, and even what they did, his reading ability was almost like reading auras. Only one lab seemed to be occupied out of the dozens here, but Muro had checked them all to make sure. He came to the last lab, the occupied one, and checked it for threats. He felt two scientists, one guard, and...  
  
*It's got to be a mistake. It has to be.* He knew he wasn't wrong, his power had never told him wrong. But he hoped he wad, he truly did. Busting open the door, Buttagiri sped forward, sword already out. He bisected the guard at an angle in one clean cut, from upper to lower chest, the parts sliding apart to land on the floor, leaking blood by the gallon. He turned to the scientists, both of them working on scanning equipment. Inside a jail cell, 2 boys and one girl, all looking about 13 years old, huddled in the corner. One boy, larger then his companions seemed to be guarding the other two. Both the scientists were older, and looked shocked at what Buttagiri had done.  
  
"Open the cell, now."  
  
"We can't do that! You don't know what those children can do!!"  
  
"Can they do that?" Buttagiri gestured to the death guard. The scientist shook his head, understanding the impact of the statement. He motioned to his partner, who pressed several switches. The door to the cell opened, and Buttagiri walked in. The three children shrank from him, having also seen his handiwork outside.  
  
"It's ok, it alright. I'm going to get you out of here."  
  
The larger boy shook his head violently.  
  
"No, you're just like them! You'll mess with us, put things in us, just like they did!"  
  
That confirmed Buttagiri's fears. The three children had Chrysalis's implanted in them, they knew it as well.  
  
"Calm down, I want you to do something for me. Feel that power inside you?"  
  
The boy nodded, he had felt the untapped power of the Chrysalis.  
  
"Look at me, then listen to that power. Just let it tell you what you need to know."  
  
The boy closed his eyes, an unnecessary gesture, but one that helped, and Buttagiri began to feel his Chrysalis interact with his. It only lasted a second, but told the boy all he needed to know.  
  
"You have one to! You're like us!"  
  
Buttagiri nodded, and noticed the scientist's sudden shift of feelings. They went from fear to pure curiosity, having never seen a full grown Chrysalis. The older boy led out the other children, Buttagiri making sure he was between them and the scientists. One made a motion, and Buttagiri removed his arm with a well placed throwing knife. The damage was done however; as he saw the blinking red light showing the comm. was on. Buttagiri rushed the children out the door, realizing he had no idea what he was going to do now.  
  
*#*#*  
  
Konoko went around yet another corner, wondering just when she would find something. Her path had been almost completely empty, having only a single door that contained cleaning supplies, and nothing else. She saw another corner, and sighed, she wanted to do something other than go around corners. She turned this one, and found no hallway ahead, only a large, and thick, metal door. She found it unlocked, and opened it, the inside reveled only a large room, twice as big as a gym that was almost completely empty, minus some crates, destroyed vehicles, and other burnt items. As Konoko walked she noticed some parts of the ground had patches of almost invisible red, the wrong color for rust, almost like blood. The other side of the gym had a large door on it, about 50 feet tall. The room gave Konoko the chills, and she turned around to go back. The doors had silently closed behind her, however, and she doubted they were unlocked. She decided to walk to the door on the other side. She was halfway across the gym room when an intercom cut in.  
  
+Hello Konoko.+  
  
Even through the static, Konoko exactly who it was.  
  
"Griffin."  
  
+Yes. Now Konoko, what do you plan to do here? You don't even know where you are! I'd like to see you escape.+  
  
"I will get out, but I'll find you before I do, I promise that."  
  
+Sticks and stones, Konoko, sticks and stones. You are on the right track, but we can't you have it that easy. We should put stuff in the way. Make it fun.+  
  
The large doors slid open, showing what they hid beneath. Almost as tall as the doors, looking almost man like, a bipedal machine of destruction walked out. It was reverse jointed, designed to support the large body. The actual body was like a bird's beak, though birds didn't cover their beak in machineguns and grenade launchers. There were two large guns on the very to, the kind of gun you see on a tank. Finally, there was a missile rack latched onto the spot where ears would go for a normal person, Konoko noticed something about the upper joints of its legs, but dismissed the info; she had other things to worry about.  
  
+The Phantoms MK. III Riot Control Walker. Designed to handle large groups of people, you don't have a chance. You never did.+  
  
The robot started tracking her, but Konoko had already disappeared behind one of the burnt cars. She released her sword, allowing the energy to flow into her hands, to take shape. She waited as the robot began systemically destroying the places to hide. When the robot finally got to her, she jumped sideways, rolled, and was already on her feet. She dashed forward, using her sword to block the hundreds of bullets aimed at her, finally reaching the point where the body couldn't track her anymore or risk falling. Something in Konoko howled a warning, and she dove backwards, landing on her butt. Two constant beam lasers were coming from the upper joints, wishing back and forth, looking for their lost target.   
  
*If I'd kept going, I'd be in about 4 pieces right now, talk about close calls.* Konoko hopped to her feet, checking around her. She had the robot trapped, unable to get her. Out of range of the lasers, and still to close for the machine guns, the robot apparently realized it could do nothing, since backing up would accomplish nothing, as Konoko could just keep walking back with it. Konoko looked at her options, and decided for the left leg.   
  
*If I jump at it, and just run my blade through the leg, I should at least partially disable it. Then It should be easy pickings.* Konoko took a couple steps back, getting ready for her attack. She took off, mind working on all the small things, when to hold her blade up, when to jump, what to do after. As she began to reach, she jumped just as she planned, but when she looked up, the leg was gone. She noticed out of the corner of her eye it had moved backwards, right at the moment she wouldn't have noticed it. She had no choice but to continue flying forward, so she flipped over to defect the ammo that the robot was unloading on her. She reached the wall, and rebounded off, just in time to avoid the missiles. She wasn't fast enough to get out of their blast range, however, and she was sent out of control, hurtling to slam into the ground. She skipped across the ground, bouncing off the floor almost as soon as she landed. She finally slammed into one of the burned objects, leaving a large dent in it and her body unresponsive. She just barley managed to mentally yell.  
  
)Get down here! I'm fighting something more powerful than ou can believe! And I'm losing, bad! I'll be dead in a couple of minutes!(  
  
+You didn't stand a chance. Now you finally die for betraying me. Kill her.+  
  
As she began slipping into uncurious, only minutely aware of the world around her and that it was going to end, she heard a voice that made her sure she was on the brink of death.  
  
"Yes sir." came Shinitama's voice.  
  
End Chapter 10  
Authors Note- Well that was one of the few things I planned, simply because I didn't just want to leave Shinatama hanging. All will be explained next chapter, though if you've beaten the game, you have a pretty good idea. Well, I need to go to sleep. Stupid ideas only come in the middle of the night. 


	10. Combat, Answers and Research

Terms of Life, Terms of Death  
An Oni Fic by: Shamgi  
Chapter 11: Combat, answers, and research  
*Words here*- Thoughts  
+Words Here+ - electronics (Radio, T.V., etc.)  
### - Flashback  
*** - Scene Change  
*#* - Character change(same scene, different character)  
)Words here( - Spooky voice(Spirit, telepathic comm., etc)  
*Authors Note- I currently have mild writers block, so I apolgise in advance if this chapter isn't up to normal standards(Read: A piece of crap. Also, if you have any idea of what I'm planning to do with the three kids I never planned to show up in this, please E-mail me to tell me about it. With that said, on with the fic!  
  
*Warning- This Chapter will contain some prettly nasty stuff in the way of blood, guts, and other violence. It has an R rating on it's own, but I don't want to switch The entire rating for just this.  
I took long enough, didn't I? Well, enjoy!  
  
*Konoko!* Muro jumped from his chair, running from the door, already following the visual directions in his head. When Konoko had called out mentally, it had showed her path from her eyes, he could see exactly where she had gone. It had not, however, shown what had happened to her. He left the scientist he had been "conversing" with tied to his chair, squirming and unable to reach anything to help himself. Muro raced to the point where Konoko had split with him, then followed the path, weapon ready. Racing down the hallways, he began to lose himself to the other side of himself, the killer, the berseker. The part of him he tried to forget, the part that had kept him alive during his youger years. It was his personal demon, a monster, it killed for the sake of killing, enjoyed the suffering of all, including himself. It began to take over him, controling his actions, having him preform brutal acts. He began mutaling the guards that tried to stop him. A slash here, swipe there, each guard dispatched before any could raise their guns, only halfs and parts remaining. The corridors soon became a total bloodbath, over 100 guards losing their arms, legs, and lives, their blood sometimes coating the floor, walls, and even roof. Muro never noticed the blood, even after he had coating himself in it, looking like a blood spector, come to claim as many lives as he could. Scientists weren't spared either, one walked into the hallway to be faced by Muro, he had simply raised his arms in alarm, and Muro had cut him in two as he ran by, guts spilling onto the floor. Even after he had givin up his quest for total power, the berseker part of Muro still lived, craving blood and violence, never having any remorse for all the blood he spilled, indifferent to the amount that stained his hands, forsaking him to whatever hell existed. The other part of him didn't seem to care as well, as long as he saved his sister, he would gladly join the devil in hell. Running through the tunnels, he finally let the berkeker out, letting his mind turn off to the outside world of blood.  
  
*#*#*  
  
Buttagiri jogged through the tunnels, making sure that he didn't lose any of his group. They all showed inceased endurance and speed due to the Chrylasis and some form of martial arts, but none of them stood a chance of keeping up with Buttagiri, and he'd rather not have them sick or scared from his speed if he carried them. He was also heading towards Konoko, but without the muderous bloodlust of his partner. He began to speed up, being a full 20 steps ahead of his young companians. Thus he turned the corner before them, and was the first to be confronted by the handiwork of Muro. Buttagiri's knees became a little weak, he had seen many fights and many dead bodies, but he had never seen anything quite this savage. There was some identifial body parts lay strown across the hallway, but mostly everything was just chunks of flesh, blood, and gore, looking as if the hallway was the gateway to hell. Some of the blood had started to blacken, having had the chance to start drying. There was a faint rotting smell, but not enough to sicken people.  
  
"Dear Christ." Buttagiri held a hand up to tell the three teens to stop where they were. They listened, waiting steps from the hallway. Buttagiri walked back to them, still feeling sick inside.  
  
"Ok, we're going to want to blindfold you when we go through the next hallway. I'll carry you so you won't get lost of trip and fall. Sound good?"  
  
The smaller boy and girl nodded, they still feared most adults and listened to their orders. The bigger boy, who had called himself Aaron, walked foward defiantly.   
  
"Some blood won't scare m..." He turned the corner, an his eyes got wide and his jaw went slack. He stood there for a moment, looking totally shocked, then fell to is hands and knees, retching onto the already blood stained floors. He finally stood, staggering back over to Buttagiri. He nodded at Buttagiri, he would also be blindfolded. Buttagiri pulled out three silk scarves, each dyed a primery color, red, blue, and yellow. He put the scarves over the three teen's eyes, then lifited them up, a boy sitting on each shoulder, the girl riding piggyback. He toted them effortlessly, he didn't even seem to notice the 200+ pounds he carried. He turned the corner again, and resisted the urge to vomit, then begin to walk foward. It was easier in some parts than others, sometimes he could tune out the blood, but sometimes his feet would get caught on the body parts and organs, and he felt like adding his own organs to the mix. The weight started to get to him, and his young compainens began to show signs of fatique and cramps from how they were arranged. Buttagiri began to look for a door, checking the side paths. He went through several rooms, most in the same shape as the hallways outside, some to small to suit his purpose, before he finally found the perfect room. It looked to be a small messhall, or a large breakroom. Either way, it contained places to sit, even couches to lay if they wanted, and food despensers, a bonus since he hadn't eaten in about a day and he was sure his small group were also hungry. He closed the door and made sure to lock it, he didn't want a lost guard spared in the carnage to come in the room and decide to shoot first and ask questions later. He let the teen's down one by one, taking off their blindfolds.   
  
"We'll rest here for awhile. Eat something and take a quick nap if you want." Buttagiri put actions to words, laying down on one of the coaches, promptly falling asleep.  
  
*****  
  
He stood in darkness, waiting for something. The area around him was calm, but farther out, it became a pool of swriling chaos, hatred, and violence. The ground became red, stained with blood by him and others. Demons of shadow, agents of chaos, marched around his circle of calm, the eye of the storm, seeking a way inside. The demons carried bodies, hundreds of bodies, each showing their victmes of this current conflect. He knew some of the faces, didn't know others, but gasped at the next group. Carried like the others, the next group included some faces he never thought he'd see...  
  
*****  
  
"Wake up! Wake up!" Aaron shook Buttagiri by the shoulders, trying with all his might to wake him up. Buttagiri put a hand up to Aaron, showing he was now awake. Blinking away sleep, streching quickly, Buttagiri looked at Aaron, then heard the noise. Banging. Someone was banging on the door, trying to get in. What reamined of fatique drained from Buttagiri, he was fuly awake, alert for any threat. He walked over to the door, noticing the young boy and girl hiding behind vending machines. Staning n front of the door, Buttagiri focused on the other side, feeling the person, checking who they were.   
  
*Not Konoko or Muro. Not a guard. A scientist? I don't feel him carring a weapon, but I have been wrong about that before. I'll open the door, let him in, he must be out of his mind with fright.*  
  
Buttagiri opened the door, blocking the view of the inside with his body. A scientist was indeed on the other side, though he proved Buttagiri wrong on one point, he carried a pistol. Suprised by the sudden appearence Buttagiri made, already paranoid by the state of the hallway, the scientist shot first, putting several bullits in Buttagiri's ribcage. Buttagiri clutched his chest, suprise written clearly on his face. Buttagiri felt around his body, having never had the chance to see what being shot felt like. He had always been to busy before.  
  
*It hurts, but not as much as seemed before. Of course, I took at shot to the head last time. No real damage, or at least damage that will last. I can feel it healing around the bullit, can probily almost watch. It's quite a feeling.*  
  
Buttagiri's look of conplation, and lack of falling down and dying, unnerved the scientist even more, sending him into a panic. He tried to force himself by Buttagiri, seeking the safty of the room, but Buttagiri would let him past, not sure if he'd shoot the childern as well. Grabbing the gun, Buttagiri led the scientist in the room, arm firmly planted on his shoulder. He sat him down on one of the coaches, looking into his eyes, trying to identify his intent.  
  
*He shot me in suprise. He was scared for his life, that's it.* Somethign bothered Buttagiri for a second, somethign he hit on a moment later.  
  
*The blood, carnage outside sidn't bother him at all. He admired it, admired the kind of...weapon needed to do that. He knows a person did it, but still considers them a weapon. He is the prime reason people end up like Konoko, Muro, and these childern. I have to watch him.*  
  
The man began to squirm, uneasy od Buttagiri's glare. He built up his courage, then gave a stare almost intense as Buttagiri's.   
  
"Who are you? I don't remember you're face. Idenify yourself." The scientist, now feeling in control, examened his surrondings, then noticed the childern, still hiding behind one of the machines.  
  
"You have the childern! I wasn't sure they would make it through this. You can turn them over to me now, I'll make sure they make it to the lab." He started foward, intent on capturing his former lab rats, but Buttagiri's arm held him back. The scientist stared back at him, rage and insult in his eyes.  
  
"You will let me go this instant!"  
  
"The kids come with me."  
  
"They can't, you have no idea what they have, the power they possess, what they are capable of doing!"  
  
"I think I know full well what you did to them. Better than you."  
  
"You have no idea what you're talking about!" The scientist was fuming, he couldn't believe this man had the nerve to claim to know more than him, after he had spent almost his entire life studing.  
  
"Do I?" Buttagiri began to let his power go, allowing it to flow to his skin, around his entire presense. He began to glow yellow, pure power coursing across his body, jumping off his skin like lighting. As more power was let loose, the energy began to flow farther and farther from his body, soon forming an aura of power that protected him from attack. He stood, eyes glowing yellow, even his voice becomming more powerful.  
  
"You claim I can no nothing of what they have. I know more than you ever will, because I have it as well. I HOLD THE SAME POWER AS THEY DO!"   
  
Buttagiri's last sentence literly knocked the scientist backwards, who held his stomach, breathing heavily. He looked at Buttagiri, rage in his eyes. He had never been this insulted in his life, and he would not tolerate it. He pulled the weapon hidden in his sleeve, grasping it in a practiced manner. The pistol read his fingerprints, then unlocked, forming a small, but powerful, plasma pistol. He aimed with both hands, centering on Buttagiri's body, and pulled the trigger. The room filled with light and sound as he high pitched whine of plasma contacting with plasma echoced, the shockwave knocking over chairs. The scientist waited, a smile on his cruel face. He wanted to see what his weapon did to the man, see how much destruction he had caused. His eyes finally came back into focus, and the scientist viewing the carnage in front of him. Or lack of carnage. Buttagiri had never moved, still glowing with his protective aura. He locked eyes with the scientist, and narrowed his eyes. The scientist seemed to overload on the failure of his attack, and began screaming.  
  
"How could you suvrive? I killed you! You should be dead! DEAD!" The scientists mind cracked, fragile from all the stress put on it for so many years.  
  
"DEAD! DEAD! Death, destruction, we all end up DEAD! Hahahahaha!" His eyes were wide, he just stood there, his face gape. Buttagiri shook his head, sorry for the man.   
  
'He is beyond help. I just wonder what caused his mind to crack.'  
  
He collected the teens, blindfolded them, then carried them out side. The scientist could still be heard screaming.  
  
*****  
  
Muro stod in front of the door, breathing heavily. He couldn't remember what he had done, but he didn't care. He concentrated on the task ahead, mainly getting through the door. It was solid neo-steel, nearly 4 feet in thickness. Muro knew from the sound his sword made on it, he seemed to know how to tell. His sword had only put dents and small cuts in it, the door was to thick to get it opened.   
  
'All my power, for nothing. I can't get past this door, can't get inside, where Konoko needs help. I can't save her, I can't protect her.' Muro's energy coursed and sparked, but began to fade as Muro gave up hope.  
  
'I can't save her, she'll die. I can't save her. I can't do it. All my power, the death I've caused, the destruction I've created, only to save her. and a large piece of metal is all that stops me, and I can't pass it. I have nothing left. My power is for nothing.' His energy was almost completly gone, and his sword began to fade. Then something snapped.  
  
"I WILL SAVE HER!!!" All his power returned, bring more with it. Even his broadsword began to glow, he now held power beyond anything seen on Earth. And he was going to use it.  
  
"I WILL!!!"He's oissed He swung, his arc diagional across the door. The metal whined and sparked, screaming as Muro cut through it. The entire area became red, Muro pushing with all his strength against the door. He was finally done, leaving not a clean cut, but a jagged slice, large enough for him to walk through easy. He had a full view of the inside, where a large robot stood over a body, guns armed. Muro saw the purple hair, and knew it was Konoko, He rushed in, jumping to attack. He sliced the guns clean from the attacking robot. He landed between the robot and Konoko, still flowing with an indescrible power.   
  
"Leave. Now." Muro stared down the walking death weapon, feeling no fear. For some reason, he felt he should tell it to leave, like he knew it would listen. The robot watched them both, assesing and calculating the situtation. It finally began to turn towards the door, suprising Muro with a response.   
  
"I'll leave for now, but we will fight again. I wish I didn't have to." The voice rung a bell with Muro, though he didn't know from where. Then Konoko, half dead, mumbled something  
  
"Sh-Shinatama, no." Muro looked at her, than back at the robot disappearing through the large door.  
  
*She lived through that? They're using her as a weapon against Konoko, and I'm partly to blame.* Muro remembered when he had fried Shinatama with elecricty, partly for the twisted enjoyment he used to get from that, and also to attract Konoko there. He'd left her, destroyed, for Konoko to find. He later learned they had self-destructed the SLD, and had never cared.   
  
*But Griffin is doing something much worse than I did, forcing them to fight each other. He will pay, soon.*  
  
Muro looked at his hands, expecting the blood to be there, but it was not, his entire body was clean.   
  
*My aura burned it off completly. Too bad it's not that easy to forgot it. I'm sorry, Konoko, I remain the muderer you thought I had left behind. I may soon be able to, but not now. Not while we fight Griffin.*  
Muro is fwtting really angsty, isn't he? Well, I'd thought I' at a sublimial message into my story, just for fun. Chipp Zanuff is the greatest GGX character in any fighting EVER!  
  
A noise caused Muro to look over at the mak shift door he had created, Buttagiri stood there, three teenagers on his sholders and back. Buttagiri gave him a mornful look, he knew Muro had done it, but forgave him for it. The teenangers were set down, and Konoko was laid flat, Buttagiri checking her for any serious wounds the Chrylasis hadn't healed.   
  
Something hit Muro, and he turned back towards his makeshift door. "I'm going back. I have to get something."  
  
As he left, Buttagiri had to wonder what that something was.  
Can you guess?  
  
End Chapter 11  
*Authors Note- Well, I took forever writing this, and I have no real excuse other than school, which shouldn't have impeaded this chapters release by this much. Other than that, I should hopefully have my other stories updated. I'm starting to write again, so this should be updated fairly soon. 


	11. A Little Soul Searching

Terms of Life, Terms of Death  
An Oni Fic by: Shamgi  
Chapter 12: A little soul searching  
*Words here*- Thoughts  
+Words Here+ - electronics (Radio, T.V., etc.)  
### - Flashback  
*** - Scene Change  
*#* - Character change(same scene, different character)  
)Words here( - Spooky voice(Spirit, telepathic comm., etc)  
*Authors Note- Well, so far, every review I have gotten for this story has been positive, which makes me feel pretty good. I don't believe I have a really good skill with writing and expression; it's not something I do often. I only really started this over the summer to keep in practice with writing for the next school year, so I had no real high hopes. That's why all these positive reviews have taken me by surprise. I would have long ago abandoned this story if it weren't for the reviews I get, so thank you.  
  
Muro walked through the blood covered hallways, his mind a battlefield.  
  
*I can't believe I did this. I've killed, but not like this. Not on this scale. What drove me to do this?*  
  
*Your own greed. You did this for yourself. It was only to fulfill you own desires.*  
  
*I don't want this! I have no desire to brutally kill people!*  
  
*Are you truly sure of that fact? Are you sure you don't enjoy it?*  
  
*I do not enjoy this!*  
  
*Then you lie. You can feel it, in the back of your brain. The feeling of accomplishment, of achievement, for a job well done.*  
  
*A job?!? This was not a simple job! It was murder, pure and simple!*  
  
*You set out to achieve a goal, and did so. This is the effect of that.*  
  
*This is nearly one hundred dead people, who's only crime was to be assigned to the wrong place! Griffin may be evil or insane, but that doesn't mean the people he commands are!*  
  
*You have truth there, but even if they aren't evil, they are still your enemies. It's them or you.*  
  
*I am tried of that idea. It does not have to be me or them! I can survive without killing them all, even if they fight me. Death is not the only answer.*  
  
*You can not leave your past behind. Death is the only thing you know. Caring for yourself is all you'll ever do.*  
  
*I care for Konoko! I did this to save her!*  
  
*You did this for yourself, so you wouldn't have to be alone. It was your own selfish interests that caused this.*  
  
*If you look at it that way, everyone is selfish, not just me! Is there anything wrong with not wanting to be alone?*  
  
*No, there is not. In fact, humans can not truly survive without someone else. This doesn't bring back the lives of those you killed, but you may just be able to accept it now.*  
  
Muro's inner battle ended, finally able to partially justify the destruction he'd caused. He continued on, intent on finding the second item he needed.  
  
*****  
  
Konoko tossed and turned, restless even in her dreamscape. All her dreams haunted her, the last time she shall Shinatama, when her uncle had died for her, the nightmare from her fathers lab, and her own brother as a blood covered demon, eager for death. Her latest dream was the worst, she was in pure darkness, surrounded, but not engulfed because of the light of her Chrysalis. Demons stalked around her, unable to touch her, but still able to haunt her with voices and visions. Human screams filled the air, adding another painful part to the tortures inflicted upon the demon's victims. More marched by, carrying the bodies of those they had claimed. Konoko saw each face, but two faces caused her eyes to widen. She clutched her eyes, unable to withstand the sight. Her control finally broke, and she screamed. Her scream drowned out all other sound, and when she stopped, it was quiet. She couldn't bear to take her hands away to see, too afraid. Standing there, eyes covered, only one thing made the dream worse.  
  
It wasn't hers.  
  
*****  
  
Buttagiri stared at the ceiling, unable to fall back asleep. He couldn't help but think about how much had happened in the past couple of days. Muro and Konoko he knew, and had planned to meet. The days had been chaotic, but that had been expected. Shinatama's appearance had been expected, at least for him.   
  
*But they weren't.* Buttagiri looked over at the three kids he had with him, who all dozed in a corner. They were a mystery to him; he saw no reason for them being here. They didn't fit, at least in the picture he had thought would be painted. *Well, I am getting near the end of this picture, different things may occur. I just have to deal. The ending will still be the same.*  
  
*****  
  
Killing these three was proving to be harder than he thought. He knew that the gunfight had not killed them, he was smarter than that. He also knew that Shinatama would take any chance to not kill them. His plans had fallen, and he only had one plan left. It was not one that would fail. It never did.  
  
*****  
  
Muro held the objects up, examining them. He turned them over several times, checking that they were still intact.   
  
*They haven't been touched, thank god. No telling what this would do to a normal person.* Muro slipped the two red objects into his pocket, then turned and walked away.  
  
End Chapter 12  
  
*Authors Note- Yes, I haven't updated in a while. Yes, this chapter is only two pages long. Yes, I will try to have the next chapter soon. To make a long story short, I lost access to my laptop for the whole time, which had this chapter 3/4's done on it. I just got it back and finished the chapter. The next chapter will be finished as quick as I can. 


	12. The Open World

Terms of Life, Terms of Death  
An Oni Fic by: Shamgi  
Chapter 13: The Open World  
*Words here*- Thoughts  
+Words Here+ - electronics (Radio, T.V., etc.)  
### - Flashback  
*** - Scene Change  
*#* - Character change(same scene, different character)  
)Words here( - Spooky voice(Spirit, telepathic comm., etc)  
*Authors Note- This story is almost over, it will most likely end in two chapters, to make 15. Its run it's course, and come to be what I expected it to be, a rarity for the things I write. Again, thanks for the reviews, and I hope you enjoyed this story.  
  
"C'mon, we need to get moving." Buttagiri sat up to see the speaker was Muro, he had returned from wherever he had been. Muro walked over and looked Konoko over while Buttagiri went to wake up the children. Muro's eyes revealed that all wounds had been healed, Konoko was fine. Muro began shaking her, attempting to wake her up. She suddenly glomped him, wrapping her arms around him like a big teddy bear. Her eyes were open, but clouded; it was easy to see she was still asleep. She rubbed her head against him, looking just like a five-year-old the way she smiled, and Muro couldn't help but ruffle her hair. He stopped, but left his hand resting on her head, and her smile got even wider. After a minute, she yawned, then blinked her eyes, and they became clear. The first thing she realized was that someone had placed their hand on her head, and it made her feel like a little girl, which Konoko happened not to like. The second thing she realized was that she was hugging a big, warm, something, and she looked up to stare into Muro's eyes. Muro never had time to react as Konoko swiftly grabbed his arm and shoulder-threw him onto the floor. He lay there, dazed, but unhurt, as Konoko stared angrily down at him. It was at this point that Konoko realized that she had been hugging him, and blushed and offered her hand to Muro. Muro took, then used his weight to toss her across the room. Konoko was expecting the throw, and landed on her feet, grinning. Muro stood up, smirking as well, and then dropped into stance, ready to attack. He and Konoko charged at each other, sparring for fun. After several minutes, Buttagiri's voice called to both of them.  
  
"Come on children, no fighting. We have to get somewhere." Buttagiri stood with his self claimed charges behind him. Muro and Konoko sheepishly grinned, and walked over, both embarrassed. Buttagiri shook his head, then started for the far doors, the rest of the ragtag group followed. The reached the large doors that the large combat robot had left through, and examined them; there was a large slit where the doors met, large enough for a pair of fingers to fit through. Konoko and Muro did just that, placing their hands on the doors, slowly pulling them apart. They got the doors open far enough for a person to pass through single file, before they stopped, panting and sweating. They walked through, Buttagiri first, the children following, and Muro and Konoko in the rear. The room they entered was as tall as the one before, but nowhere near as long, it ended only about 6 meters, where it ended in a large hole, which looked to be a service elevator, the obvious way out. Further checking showed nothing else but a smaller elevator for human passengers, one the group was hesitant to use.   
  
"We need to try another way, they know we're up here, and this is the easiest way down, so they know we'll use it. We need to outthink them. I'd say to use the service elevator, but we have no way of calling it up."  
  
Muro looked over at the hole. "Calling it up is a bad idea anyway. By the time it got up and back down, they would easily be set up any defense to counter attack here. We could call it up and use he regular elevator?"  
  
"No, I bet they have a tracker in the elevator which would tell them it was coming down."  
  
Muro continued to stare in the hole. "I guess the only thing we can do is jump."  
  
Something clicked in Konoko's brain. "Anyone have a hypo?"  
  
Muro and Buttagiri shrugged, they'd been stripped of any items they would have been carrying.  
  
"Here." Aaron held out two hypos in his palms. Konoko took them from him, smiling. He blushed slightly, and Konoko's smile got even wider. She took both hypos, then injected them into her arm. As the healing medicine flowed through her blood stream, her mutated cells became excited by it, giving off tremendous amounts of energy which became Konoko's aura. Not even waiting to say anything to her confused partners, Konoko ran and jumped into the service elevator hole, spiraling down. It took her a good ten seconds to hit the ground, and she mentally calculated to have fallen about seventy feet. The ground had shattered below her, almost breaking the elevator in half below her. Indeed, an ambush party waited below, consisting of about twenty TCTF officers, a deployment van with an enlarged mounted pulse cannon, and two riot control vans, with mounted cannons that sprayed energy that knocked over its targets, a severe danger in this situation. Already, several things had happened, her aura had reached full power, and the ambush party had noticed her, and was already adjusting to fire on her. Konoko gave them little time, rushing forward with fists as her only weapon. The three guards nearest her never got up a shot, she kicked one so hard he left a dent in the wall, one smacked the roof, then fell right back to the floor. The third was thrown into a support beam, causing it to creak dangerously, and more importantly, catching the attention of the group. Konoko used the split second she had, she ran over to one of the riot vans, and face distorted with effort, slowly raised it into the air. Holding it above her head and the heads of the shocked officers, she mustered her strength and threw it. It crashed against the other riot van, and forced it forward, crushing all the guards taking shelter behind its armored skin. Only about a third of the guards remained, and most looked ready to leave. All but one of the troopers had been loading into the van when it took off, Konoko close behind. The mounted pulse cannon began to fire on her, but the gunner couldn't keep up with Konoko's rapid movement. She put on a sudden burst of speed, then jumped and kicked. She hit like the tire, shredding it, and Konoko winched from the heat generated from the tires friction on her foot. The van slid out of control with the loss of one of its wheels, and it flipped over and slammed into a wall, stopping it. During the roll, the gas tank was crushed, and the gas burst into flame, consuming the truck in fire. Screams were heard over the roar of the fire, but Konoko could do nothing about them, and was forced to ignore them. She turned around, spotting the guard left behind; he was staring at her, fear written across his face. He slowly back up from Konoko as she approached, but in a swift movement, she grabbed him by the shirt, lifting him from the ground.  
  
"You'll should me the way out of here." It was an order, and he quickly nodded. She dropped him, then walked back over to the service elevator.   
  
Her landing had crushed the bed of the elevator, rendering it useless. She looked at it briefly, then shouted up. "It's safe. Take the other elevator, this one's ruined." After a minute, the hum of the smaller elevator started up, and after a minute, the doors opened, and Muro, Buttagiri, and the children climbed out. They gave a brief look at the guard, who could only stand, to scared to move. With a fiery look from Konoko he turned and started forward, leading the group to the exit.  
  
The trip was uneventful, no blockades awaited them. Finally, the motley groups forced guide stopped in front of a large service door, turning to them.  
  
"This is the only door to the outside, but you won't be able to open it."  
  
Smiling, Muro and Konoko approached the new door, being no larger then their former one. A few minutes later, the door was open enough to allow a person through, and the guard could only stare.   
  
Turning to him, Konoko spoke quickly. "You're free to go, though I'd advise against pursing your current career for the near future." The guard nodded dumbly, and quickly exited through the door. After a few minutes, Konoko, Muro, and the others followed the officer. The outside air was clean, cleaner than the rest of the city, and all savored it, some more than others. Konoko, Muro, and Buttagiri had only been in the building for a couple of days, and the outside was familiar. The children, however, hadn't seen the outside for years, and looked around at something almost alien to them. Finally, Muro turned to the group.   
  
"I've got a place we can stay, but we need to move and try not to get spotted." The others nodded, Konoko and Buttagiri because they knew he was right, the children because they were to numb to do anything but follow orders. Thus they set off, heading for safety.  
  
End Chapter 23  
Authors Note- Well, sorry about not updating, but like I said before, I lost access to my laptop. Well, I'll try to update as soon as I can, as this story is about to wrap up. On another note, can any of you see Konoko glomping Muro like a teddy? 


	13. Ambushed

Terms of Life, Terms of Death  
An Oni Fic by: Shamgi  
Chapter 14: Ambushed  
*Words here*- Thoughts  
+Words Here+ - electronics (Radio, T.V., etc.)  
### - Flashback  
*** - Scene Change  
*#* - Character change(same scene, different character)  
)Words here( - Spooky voice(Spirit, telepathic comm., etc)  
*Authors Note- Well, only two chapters left. The strange things I've shown you, the dreams, Buttagiri, Shinatama, Griffin, they will all be explained and wrapped up. I guess I'm kind of sad, this story has been fun to write, and I don't really want to end it. All stories must end however, and this one is no exception. Well, on with the fic!  
  
The TCTF officer watched the street, alert for any of the targets appearance. He was a scout, sent ahead so they would be ready. Several people appeared, three adults, two male, one female, and three children in the same order, the officer spotted purple hair, an almost unknown hair trait in Neo-Tokyo, and called in. The targets were spotted, and heading into the trap.  
  
Konoko, Muro and Buttagiri were all comfortable and relaxed, walking calmly down the deserted street. A noise brought them to alert, and they looked around just in time to see the hundreds of TCTF officers surround them, all at fifty meters or more, leaving a shooting gallery of a street. Behind the group in front, the robot that Konoko stood, ready to support the troops. The screech of wheels sent their heads turning, several TCTF vans deployed behind them, releasing even more officers.  
  
"This has to be the entire TCTF force." Konoko quickly ran odds through her head, and the results of her calculations showed that they didn't stand a chance.  
  
"This is the end, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, you die here." The three renegades looked up, spotting Griffin in one of several helicopters that circled overhead. It descended, and let him off on one of the many buildings, where snipers stood ready to gun the group down. The assembled stood, not moving, it felt as if an important moment was at hand, and none dared break it. Finally Griffin uttered a single word.  
  
"Fire."  
  
The sound of nearly five hundred weapons of various types sounded, and Konoko, Muro and Buttagiri took several shots. The impacts did little more than slow them down as the three ran towards the closest building, each shielding a child. Muro jumped and broke the door open, and they placed the children inside, ordering them not to leave. Taking the brief respire, the three formed a quick plan, and quickly put it to execution. Dashing out, Muro and Konoko each took a side, deflecting projectiles that came there way. Buttagiri began using his skill with his self formed throwing blade, yellows slivers flying ever which way. More hit their target than not, and many guards fell to Buttagiri's aim. Buttagiri turned his eyes upwards, and several choppers were torn to pieces by the knives. It seemed hopeless, however, since Buttagiri was tiring and more guards appeared to replace those who died. Konoko and Muro slowly began to move back, until they were side by side. Neither had let a shot past, but again, they were tiring.   
  
An inhuman scream was heard, and the robot entered the battlefield. It fired it's machineguns at the group, and Muro and Konoko were forced to separate, still under fire from the walls of troops. They each went to a separate side, then with their momentum, ran up it, landing on the respective roofs. This action put them above and out of view the robot and guards, and both Konoko and Muro took advantage, signaling to each other, they both ran towards to side the robot had come, staying out of the sight of those below. By some fluke, none of the helicopters spotted them, and Konoko quietly thanked whatever deity was watching them. Reaching the wall of guards, both Muro and Konoko jumped down, amidst the startled guards. They were slow to react, but Muro and Konoko were not, screams became the main sound heard.   
  
Finally reaching the other, Muro and Konoko each grabbed an armored van, driving them off, heading towards the robot and their original spot. Muro, driving in front, aimed for the robots back, and jumped out of the van before contact came. He just finished jumping into Konoko's when the sound of grinding metal was heard, and the inhuman cry came again. The robot fell over, leaving only a little space for Konoko to drive through. They parked the car in front of the building they had hid the children in, and before it stopped, jumped out and quickly went inside and grabbed the hidden children, bringing them back outside and placing them in the van. Even its armored hide had started to buckle under the combined firepower of the shooters, but it still held, a small, but important, break for Konoko and Muro. Hopping back into the van with their charges, Muro turned around, driving past the robot which had started to get up, and through the swarm of TCTF officers, several thumps confirmed that many of the officers were slow on their feet. As Muro drove, Konoko grabbed spare armor, and put it on the children, tying them on. Then Konoko remembered something.   
  
"Buttagiri! Did you see him?"  
  
Muro shook his head, he hadn't spotted him in the chaos. Konoko had little time to worry though, as a thundering told her the robot had awaken, and was now giving chase. Konoko quickly tied each of the children down so they would not fall out, then used the safety wire to secure herself. She popped open the doors, grabbing a pulse rifle in each hand, then kicked the door open. The robot was closer than she had thought it would be, and surprised her, but she quickly recovered and began to fire. Her shots did little but slow the thing down, but that was all she could hope for. She had to stop and reload, and the robot quickly gained. As Konoko reloaded, she spotted something she really needed, two Phase Stream Projectors. She grabbed each, and found them to be fully charged, and quickly aimed them at her mechanical pursuer. She fired, and the two beams of energy slammed into the robot's left leg, the force causing no direct damage but staggering it. She swung her aim to the right leg, and the robot was forced to slow down to avoid tripping. Konoko finally brought the guns up to the robot's head, and fired, sending the unstable robot to its back, leaving it behind. It struggled to stand up, and managed to somehow flip itself over, and renewed the chase. Konoko aimed to fire again, but Muro suddenly swerved and sent her off balance, almost out of the back of the van. She recovered quickly, but too late, the robot had enough time to open fire. Several impacts into her skin told Konoko all she needed to know, luckily most of the shots had missed.   
  
Muro swerved again, but luck was not on their side, and the truck flipped. Konoko was bounced around the back, finally coming to rest on the trucks roof. She smelled gas, and smoke, not a good sign. Konoko quickly gathered the three dazed kids, who had luckily sustained no serious injuries, and led them out. Her head spun even as she did so, and when she spotted Muro, she could tell he was in the same condition, neither of them would be able to fight well for awhile. The robot had stopped as soon as the truck flipped, and Konoko faced it down while checking behind them. They were in a dead end, the back way out having been cutoff by a large wall. Any attempt to climb the wall would give the robot easy targets, they had to fight, which neither of them could do. The robot prepared to fire, sighting in on the group with its weapons. Then it let loose a torrent of lead.  
  
Konoko flinched, but no impacts came. She looked to see Buttagiri in front of them. He didn't even wait to charge the robot, rage filling the cry of combat he let loose. The robot wasted no time in firing, letting loose rockets and bullets, which Buttagiri either deflected or avoided. He jumped to slice the leg, making the same mistake Konoko had. She had gotten off lightly.  
  
Buttagiri did not.  
  
Quick as a flash, the robot's defense laser came up, slicing Buttagiri's arm from his body. Buttagiri landed, staring numbly at the stump, then let out a howl of rage, and attacked, blade forming in his other hand.  
  
Again, the laser cut through Buttagiri's flesh, leaving his other arm on the ground. Buttagiri, mind blinded from pain, walked right in front of the robot, which opened fire. Buttagiri's body literately began to dance from the amount of ammunition fired into it, the barrage lasted nearly a minute, then stopped, leaving the area in silence. Buttagiri, still alive, slowly took a step forward, then another, then fell to the ground.   
  
"No!!!" Konoko dashed forward, reaching Buttagiri's body. She got to the ground and cradled his head in her lap, crying. Buttagiri opened his eyes, on the brink of death, smiling gravely.  
  
"Konoko, don't worry, I'm ready to die. I have been since the beginning."  
  
Konoko looked down at him, sight blurred with tears. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Konoko, when I got my Chrysalis, it showed me an undesirable future. It showed me this point, when you and Muro would die."  
  
Buttagiri coughed on blood, living on borrowed time bought by the Chrysalis, then continued.  
  
"You were fated to die here, and so was Muro. The only way to change that was for me to die instead. I knew the future up to this point, I knew what would happen, and when! I knew it all, so I would be here to protect both of you."  
  
Buttagiri leaned up, ignoring Konoko's protests. "Your father and uncle had no idea how powerful the Chrysalis was. Every night I dreamt about your deaths, over and over! It haunted me, almost to the point of insanity!"  
  
He laid back down, closing his eyes. "The future isn't written, isn't known, isn't foretold. Even knowing what would happen, I still didn't know what to do. The future can be changed just as easily as water can be moved, we must be careful to take it the right direction, to make the right choices, and deal with the wrong ones."  
  
A smile again crossed Buttagiri's blood covered face, seeming out of place in the grim moment. "I finally can rest, now, and forever. You must work towards the future, you and your brother. I can no longer help you."  
  
Taking a final breath, the man known as Buttagiri, who was a scientist, a killer, and in the end, a savior, a man who had cheated death one to many times, fell limp in Konoko's arms, finally at peace.  
  
Konoko slowly began to accept what was in front of her.  
  
Buttagiri was dead.  
  
End Chapter 14  
Authors Notes - None now, I will go in depth next chapter. 


	14. The End

Terms of Life, Terms of Death  
An Oni Fic by: Shamgi  
Chapter 15: The End  
*Words here*- Thoughts  
+Words Here+ - electronics (Radio, T.V., etc.)  
### - Flashback  
*** - Scene Change  
*#* - Character change(same scene, different character)  
)Words here( - Spooky voice(Spirit, telepathic comm., etc)  
*Authors Note- Buttagiri was a character I enjoyed writing, but his end was set almost since I introduced him. I liked Buttagiri greatly, so I was actually sad as I wrote his death. But everyone dies, only a lucky few get to choose how they go. Buttagiri was one of those, and he was content with his choice. This is the end, where we learn what happens to all these characters, where this story reaches its end. I can only hope that its end is worth the rest of the story, that the story's end will be as good as the rest of it. I can only hope.  
  
Konoko cried silently, wishing she could just wake up, so she could escape this reality, this nightmare she was sure was a dream, but knew was not.  
  
"Konoko. C'mon, we have to fight. Grieve later, or you won't be able to." Muro placed his hand on Konoko's shoulder, gently urging her up.   
  
"How can we fight? We can't win!" Konoko gestured to the robot, which now had all the remaining TCTF troops surrounding it and preparing to fire. None had fired however, none could bring themselves to, they didn't see how the single girl crying over a corpse held any threat to them.  
  
"With these." Muro pushed a hypo into Konoko's hand, which Konoko dimly noticed was red.  
  
"Take it. Just take it."  
  
Konoko, to sad to wonder why it would help, did so. The medicine flowed through her blood stream, exciting her cells and giving off energy, creating her aura.  
  
It didn't stop there.  
  
Again and again it excited her cells, forcing more and more energy to the surface. Konoko's aura was pure white, and still flowed with energy, making her stronger and faster, tougher and more agile. When the special hypo finally stopped, Konoko knew she had more energy under her control that a nuclear bomb, enough to wipe the entire city off the face of the planet, and every person in it.   
  
*No, worry about now. The city doesn't deserve to be destroyed, only the robot.* Konoko looked over at the gathered police and robot, and smiled an evil smile. For all her hate of death, she would enjoy this.  
  
*****  
  
Shinatama watched what the result of her killing of the man called Buttagiri, wishing she could be anywhere but here. Shinatama's electronic "brain" had survived the blast, and Griffin had thought it was a great idea to have her be the programming that ran the robot whose only objective was to kill Konoko. She had resisted as much as possible, but Griffin had made sure she couldn't stop the robot, and would be forced to watch. Shinatama would be unable to stop herself if Konoko or Muro attacked, no matter how much she tried. She would be forced to kill her only friend, the only person that thought of her more than just a piece of code.   
  
Then she saw the aura. She knew Konoko would attack.  
  
*****  
  
Konoko gave few of the officers a chance, rushing forward at almost the speed of sound. Her hands were her only weapon, she could tear steel like it was putty, and human flesh and bone didn't stand a chance. She punched one unlucky man straight through the face, feeling his brains fry on her energy gorged skin. In seconds, most of the guards had fallen to Konoko alone, Muro stayed back, reserving himself for later.   
  
The robot looked down at Konoko, and opened fire. Konoko continued to smile as the ammunition came at her, bullets bounced off her body like paper, missiles exploded around her with no effect, Konoko didn't even feel the heat as she watched. Finally the barrage ended, and Konoko stood, like an angel of death in the center of a battlefield. She ran at the robot, calm, almost like it was just sport, letting the robot keep track of her.  
  
The robot brought its defense laser to bear, firing at Konoko. The laser hit, and reflected off, like it would a mirror. Konoko smiled right at the camera, then attacked, tearing the legs of the machine apart like putty, bringing the robot to the ground, defeated. It sparked and burned as the gas tanks began to ignite, and Konoko heard something that sickened her to the bone.  
  
"Thank you." The voice was Shinatama's, and it came from the robot. Then it exploded, destroying her digital friend, erasing her from existence.  
  
"No..." Konoko dropped to her knees, spent. The aura wore off, the battle was done. Konoko had lost two dear friends that night, and her mind was on the brink. Insanity was a single step away, and Konoko's foot was raised. Then she saw, through the tears, the one who caused all this.  
  
Griffin.  
  
Konoko stood, then rushed forward, grabbing the man. He had come to see what had happened, and had just got more than he bargained for.  
  
"You." Konoko and Griffin looked each other eye to eye, attempting to read the other's thoughts.  
  
Griffin smiled, then stated.  
  
"At least I got one of you."  
  
Konoko let out an inhuman growl, and threw Griffin forward. Running forward, she grabbed him by the neck, cutting off his air.  
  
"This is for my father." Konoko brutally punched Griffin in the stomach, knocking the breath from him.  
  
"This is for my uncle." Another punch, and Griffin threw up.  
  
"This is for Shinatama." Konoko's fist came back bloody, Griffin bleeding from his mouth as well.  
  
"This is for Buttagiri." The punch actually brought Griffin slightly into the air, and the only reason he stayed standing was for Konoko.  
  
"And this is for me." Konoko didn't throw a punch, her hand went outstretched. She impacted Griffins chest, and went through it, feeling around. She found what she was looking for, and yanked.  
  
Griffin's heart burst from his chest, Konoko's fingers wrapped around it. For several seconds Griffin watched his own heart beat, then he died, without a word.  
  
Konoko dropped Griffins body and heart, then fell to the ground herself, all energy gone. She dimly noticed Muro pick her up, and began to walk, the children following behind him. She saw where he was headed, and wasn't afraid. He was heading for the wasteland, a place only they could go. Konoko was finally glad it was over, and she fell into a sleep, content.  
  
The End.  
  
End Chapter 15  
Authors Notes- Well, this is the end of the story. I've finally finished it, at 15 chapters flat. There will be no sequel, or at least none that I plan, but who knows, it might happen. 


End file.
